Kingdom Hearts III
by fuzzynavaljewelry
Summary: Chapter 30: A Matter of Trust
1. The Sun in Spring

**Kingdom Hearts III**

**A/N:** Before you get your panties in a bunch, let me explain a few things for you. No, this is not a mistake. No, I'm not a grammar challenged hick, even though I grew up in Kentucky. I used a difficult literary device, for both the writer and the reader, called stream of consciousness:

**Stream of Consciousness: 1.** A literary technique that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur. Capitalization and punctuation are often left out.

So you might be wondering why the hell I'm trying something so crazy. One, I like attempting difficult things (honors all the way baby). Two, this chapter is meant to be like an opening sequence and, as any KH fan might have noticed, Nomura's opening sequences are utter visual chaos. This is my attempt at imitating that chaos.

I encourage you to keep reading, even if you didn't like the stream of consciousness. Here's my promise to those that read on, my rainbow after the flood of words, so to speak: When I use it again (because I _will_ use it when given the appropriate opportunity), it will only be in small snippets. I'm a punctuation nut, so even I have my limits.

Hey, new readers (and some old readers still in the dark)! As you continue to read, you may find it hard to remember everything that needs remembering. Don't despair! Like its predecessors, this "game" has a journal along side it to help you keep track of everything. Check out _Jiminy's Journal, Under New Management_ on my profile page!

By the by, the "song" I have "playing" in my opening sequence is called _The Sun in Spring_. ...Okay, so it's only a poem right now, but I plan on at least giving it a melody. For those of you just tuning in, this is the second version of this chapter I've uploaded. For all you veterans, you might wonder why I completely rehashed this. Well, the non-spoiler version is that I seriously examined _Simple and Clean_ and _Sanctuary_ and decided that I needed something closer to that theme.

For those of you that miss _Together_, as well as the first version of this chapter, fear not! They have retired to _Jiminy's Journal_. You'll also find lyrics to the KH title songs, opening and ending for those who want to see the differences in the words, slight though they are (the main difference is in the accompaniment). _The Sun in Spring _is there as well.

I'd like to give you a little perspective before you start reading. I started this story right before Final Mix came out and I redid this chapter right before 358/2 Days came out, so no crap about not including them. If I can work in some new stuff, I will. If I can't, tough noogies. Alright! Now that I've bored you with a page of author's notes...without further ado, I proudly present Kingdom Hearts III:

* * *

Chapter 1: The Sun in Spring

_Thinking of you, wherever you are.  
__We pray for our sorrows to end,  
__and hope that our hearts will blend.  
__Now I step forward to realize this wish.  
__And who knows:  
__Starting a new journey may not be so hard  
__or maybe it has already begun.  
__There are many worlds,  
__but they share the same sky -  
__one sky, one destiny._

Our hero, Sora, can be seen standing in the mysterious cave on Destiny Islands, staring apprehensively at the door to the heart of this world.

"_The sun has been high over head all this time. But now, the day is over and the sun is setting. Soon, everything will be plunged into night."_

a girl on the beach pink clothes chestnut hair deep blue eyes waiting youre that girl he likes staring out at the ocean

_Alone in the silence and darkness_

a girl at the window white dress blond hair deep blue eyes watching i wanted to meet you at least oncedoodling idly

_with the weight pressing down,_

the girl on the beach looks back boys playing racing building a raft silver hair and aquamarine eyes brown hair and clear blue eyes she smiles happily

_the only way to survive_

the girl at the window looks back two guys eating ice cream talking enjoying the twilight red hair bright green eyes blond hair clear blue eyes she smiles sadly picks up her sketch book

_is to throw up the walls,_

you are half of who he is bring me another sora his nobody blond boy stands slips falling down no falling up running up a building clash duel silver hair blindfold hell need another personality

_never let them break down,_

blond boy eating ice cream with three new friends girl at the window walks to the blond boy scene dissolves away as she moves leaves only bright white reaches his side turns around

_and hide yourself inside._

across from them the girl from the beach the boy from her memory chestnut and blond and deep blue shake hands

_I hear the music on the other side._

they look to the boys the boys look at each other brown and blond and clear blue slap hands together light lots of light

_So wonderful, so beautiful._

sora on the beach looks around new clothes sees ansem standing in the water holding out his hand a wave rises sora runs toward him reaches for him finally grabs his hand more light blinding

_The walls tremble, threaten to fall._

sora and riku on altar of naught xemnas through the open door they look at each other smirk high five tag team follow xemnas to the realm of nothing

_I see the other side and cringe away,_

twin red swords of light whirling dancing fighting slashing best friends side by side as it should be defeat him together by the keyblades light cursed keyblade fist bump

_content to listen._

back on the beach kairi is waiting were back youre home soras promise he returns the good luck charm

_So warm,_

a barren desert the fallen turn to dust it clouds the air harsh winds crossroads appear keyblades many keyblades

_this feeling in my heart._

a dark figure alone three knights together a shadow appears fighting erupts much alarumand conflict

_Like the sun in spring, melting away the bitter frost,_

overhead in the sky a heart shaped moon glowing with light kingdom hearts grows fills the sky everything swallowed in its depths

_lets new life bloom._

visions of people brown haired girl with brown eyes blond haired man with blue eyes light of the keyblade

_Like a candle flame, so fragile and small,_

a blond haired girl green eyes maybe blue lost trying to find her way a flash of bright metal vibrating ever vibrating

_beats back the dark._

visions of past present future a great battle keyblade against keyblade death destruction war life rebirth peace

_Like a blanket around me, comforting and secure,_

sora kairi riku lying on the beach gazing at the sky gazing at the stars gazing at the moon kairi clutching a letter the kings seal a wave crashes over them

_keeps the cold at bay._

kairi plummeting head first through water slows swings upright lands gently on the ocean floor

_What is this feeling?_

inches her foot forward a flock of doves explodes a stained glass platform

_So warm..._

* * *

A dark figure walks from Kingdom Hearts down the path to the crossroads.


	2. Surprises

Chapter 2: Surprises

_Fellas,_

_I know ya just got home and all, and I'm real sorry to do this to ya, but somethin' big's about to happen. So do ya think you could swing on by the castle for me? Dale will be by in a lil bit with a Gummi Ship for ya. Thanks a ton!_

_P.S._

_Everyone's excited to see ya again._

Sora blinked as he read the king's note, a blank look on his face. Scratching his head, he reread the note, trying to make heads or tails of the cryptic message.

"What do you think?"

Kairi's face looked pale and her hand gripped Sora's arm quite painfully. "It sounds like the Heartless again, or the Nobodies."

"I don't know..."

"If you ask me, Mickey is just pulling our legs," Riku smirked. He went back to reclining against the tree. "He respects us and would tell us straight out if anything was wrong. I think he's just fishing for an excuse to see us."

Sora mulled this over. "That does sound like something he'd do. And I won't say I'm not excited about seeing them either." He looked up, remembering his happy-go-lucky friends. "I wish we didn't have to wait."

Riku smiled, "I don't think we'll have to." He pointed at a bright square of light that had appeared in front of them. "If you keep going on like this, we won't need Gummi Ships anymore."

The three of them walked forward through the door to light...and landed unceremoniously on the floor of Disney Castle's Gummi Hangar.

"Ow."

"Gerroff!"

"That's my face."

"That's my butt."

"Oh! Sorry Kairi."

"Quiet!"

"Flying Squirrel to Control Tower, come in Control Tower," came a nasally, chattering voice. It was distorted slightly as it crackled over the radio.

An even chattier, yet less nasally voice answered from amidst a platform of consoles, "Control Tower to Flying Squirrel, I read you loud and clear."

The voice on the radio began chattering even more frantically, "They're not here! Bio scans aren't picking them up. Darkness scans aren't picking up anything either."

"_What?_" The speaker jumped, revealing himself to be a small, brown chipmunk with a small, black nose. His return flight, however, carried the poor animal over the edge of his tower. Luckily, Sora managed to catch Chip and quickly restored him to his rightful place among the flashing buttons.

"_SORA!_" he exclaimed, nearly flying off the tower again, "Kairi, Riku! What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here yet."

Dale's voice came over the radio again, "What? They're at Disney Castle? What are they doin' there already?"

"Let's just say I learned a new trick," Sora said, stepping back, propping his hands behind his head, and flashing his trademark grin.

"Alrighty, then. Flying Squirrel returning to base. Over and out."

Suddenly, a new voice crackled over the radio, "Chimera to Disney Castle, requesting permission to land."

"Disney Castle to Chimera, request denied."

"Request denied? What d'ya mean request denied?" Now Sora recognized the slightly drawling voice of Radiant Garden's Gummi expert, Cid. "I'll have you know that I had to navigate those dagnabbed paths of Sora's and it's a doozy, even without all those blasted Heartless."

"It's a code SKR. No Gummi Ships allowed."

"Stop kidding me, there ain't no code SKR...no, Yuffie, get off. I'm the only one allowed-" Static, some scuffling noises, then a new, cheerful voice.

"This is the Great Ninja Yuffie. You're going to let us land this tub so we can get this surprise party sta-"

"Permission granted!" Chip screamed into the mic before flipping off the radio.

"A surprise party, huh?" Sora mused, then grinned wickedly. He motioned for Riku, Kairi, and Chip to huddle. "Here's what we're going to do..."

King Mickey smiled as he looked over all who had gathered in the courtyard to celebrate. Of course, the guest list was restricted to those who knew that there were other worlds out there. The Princesses were there, as were Aladdin and Genie. Unfortunately, Belle and the Beast were unable to attend, something about a dance. Some of Sora's friends that he summoned to help him also came. Every member of the castle had joined in the festivities, as well, whether or not they knew Sora. The only guests who had yet to arrive were the Radiant Garden gang.

Whoops! Scratch that. Leon entered, somber as usual, followed by an excited Yuffie, clutching several boxes. Next came Aerith and Tifa, then cantankerous, old Cid.

Curiously enough, the next person to enter was Chip. The energetic little guy scampered over to King Mickey and stopped in front of him, huffing and puffing. It took him several seconds to compose himself before he could whisper hurriedly into the king's ear.

"_Missing?_" Mickey cried. Every pair of eyes, and some single ones, turned to look at him. Quickly, he managed to pull an excuse out of his as...uh, ankles..., "How can we have a party without pin the tail on the donkey?" He went with Chip to hear the bad news for himself.

Meanwhile, three teenagers were sniggering at the king's desperate attempt to remain calm. From their spot in the shrubs, they could see the whole courtyard without being seen...or so they thought.

"What are you doing?" asked a voice. All three jumped and yelled, "Nothing!"

The speaker gave them a knowing smirk, "Hiding out from all the adults who like to treat teens like kids? Us, too. C'mon, you can come hang with us."

Sora took a good look at who was now leading them. He looked to be no older than them. Almost like a teenage Goofy. He even had that dog look, plus the same buck teeth that Goofy had. It was almost eerie how much this guy looked like Goofy.

"Here we are guys," the guy said, leading them to another alcove away from the party. Another dog boy was sitting there with plates - yes, plural - plates of food in front of him. He looked dogish, as well, only much larger around the midriff, understandably so.

"Took you long enough, Max," said the larger dog boy between bites.

"Hey, PJ. I just ran into these guys here."

"Hey, cool! Join the party, there's plenty," PJ said, handing over a plate. Sora, Kairi, and Riku took it, not being able to resist the aromas. Seeing that the three had full mouths, Max took it upon himself to break the silence.

"Not many kids were invited from off-planet. I'm only here because my dad wanted me to meet this Sora kid."

"And Max dragged me along for moral support," dribbled PJ.

"Who's your dad?" Kairi asked politely.

"Oh, he's one of the guys that went off after all those Heartless and Nobodies. There he is, he's the one with the big shield and stupid smile." Max pointed at an armored figure standing near the king.

Sora could recognize the loveable idiot anywhere. "Goofy? I didn't know Goofy had a kid. How old is he? How old are Donald and Mickey for that matter?"

"You'd be surprised," Max replied cryptically, looking at Sora askance. "Are you a personal friend of Mickey's? Not many people call him just Mickey."

"Yeah, most people respect him too much," PJ said, grinning sheepishly. "Like me. The king let me stay in the castle after he exiled my dad." He looked around and dropped his voice, "What's said here, stays here, 'kay?"

"Of course." "No problem." "Wouldn't dream of it."

His voice dropped even lower, "Well, between us, my dad works for Maleficent."

"Pete's your dad?" Sora asked. PJ nodded, looking a bit uncomfortable. "Don't worry, it's not like we're going to hold it against you."

"Really?" All three of them were quick to offer him reassurance, Riku being the most enthusiastic about it.

Meanwhile, Max was looking up at the king, who had returned. He seemed to be anxious about something. The poor mouse had begun to pace, even.

"Wonder what's up with the king," Max thought aloud.

PJ frowned, "I wonder if Dale didn't manage to find those three guys."

Now Max frowned, too, "That's probably the reason Mickey said that bit about pin the tail on the donkey."

Kairi was desperately, yet unsuccessfully, trying to suppress giggles. Riku merely smirked. The only one who cared to explain to the two baffled dogs was Sora.

"We're playing a joke on Mickey. You see, we're Sora, Kairi, and Riku."

Both stared at them incredulously before they burst out laughing.

Riku sighed, "But we've strung him out long enough. C'mon, let's find Chip and initiate Phase Two."

"Well, gawrsh, yer Majesty, I'm sure Sora an' his buddies are fine," Goofy reassured Mickey.

Suddenly, Chip rushed in again, followed by Max and PJ pushing a huge package. It was wrapped with a large bow and a tag saying "King Mickey." If anyone had cared to notice, they also would have discovered that it could have conversations with itself:

"I can't believe you managed to convince me to do this, Sora."

"It's because of my mad persuasion skills."

"Shush, you two!"

Max rapped on the box. "Do you _want_ to give yourselves away?"

Luckily, Chip didn't have to talk this time as he tried to catch his breath. He just handed a letter to Mickey.

"What's it say?" asked Donald.

"Whelp, all it says is..."

"Surprise!" yelled Sora, Kairi, and Riku, jumping out of the box. The whole room burst into applause for them, albeit most were confused at this turn of events. Oh well, it would make for a good parlor story anyway.

Mickey had retreated to his desk in the library once all the festivities ended. Many papers cluttered it; reports, graphs, pictures, you name it, it was there.

"What's all this?" Riku asked over Mickey's shoulder. Mickey jumped; that boy was always sneaking up on you like that. Riku shuffled through the papers, his frown becoming more pronounced with each one.

Mickey shifted uncomfortably, "I didn't wanna bring it up. I feel bad to get ya involved again, but I have a bad feeling that won't go away."

"That's why you asked us here."

Always blunt, that one. "Yes," Mickey winced. "Somehow, I don't think it ended with Xemnas."

"Actually, I...unh...," Riku trailed off and clutched his head. Mickey went to help, but suddenly felt dizzy himself. Everything became blurred and began spinning before going dark.

In the courtyard, Donald and Goofy both cried out in alarm as Sora and Kairi fainted.

* * *

**A/N: **You know how in Jiminy's Journal, it says when and in what a character first appeared in? Well, I'm going to do just that for the benefit of people who don't know all the characters and want to look them up, with a few corrections...I mean...improvements, as well. I'll give you the character, in what they first appeared, and the year it came out (except for games; gotta keep consistent with Jiminy). 

**New Characters:**

Sora: Kingdom Hearts  
Kairi: Kingdom Hearts  
Riku: Kingdom Hearts  
Chip: Private Pluto (1943)  
Dale: Private Pluto (1943)  
Cid: Final Fantasy VII  
Yuffie: Final Fantasy VII  
Leon: Final Fantasy VIII  
Aerith: Final Fantasy VII  
Tifa: Final Fantasy VII  
Mickey: Steamboat Willie (1928)  
Max Goof: Goof Troop (1992)  
PJ: Goof Troop (1992)  
Goofy: Two Weeks Vacation (1952)  
Donald: The Wise Little Hen (1934)


	3. Hojevah

Chapter 3: Hojevah

Sora and Kairi floated together through a torrent of colors. Though they were battered about, nothing managed to separate them. They had promised never to leave each other again.

Suddenly, they plunged into an ocean, deeper and deeper, until they came to stand on the dark floor. Kairi slid her foot forward, and a flock of doves sprouted beneath it, revealing the stained-glass platform.

Three Keyblades took up most of the platform. Their Keychains twined together at the vertex, and their blades pointed out towards the edge, dividing it in three. Proud and strong, the Kingdom Key reached straight up. Loyal and firm, Way to the Dawn stretched down to the left. Subtle and mysterious, the dark realm's Keyblade swung down to the right. In the section between Way to the Dawn and the Kingdom Key were two more crossed Keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion. A flowery Keyblade, Radiating Garden, bloomed between the dark realm's Keyblade and the Kingdom Key. Finally, at the bottom were a myriad of other weapons; Save the King, Save the Queen, a Struggle bat, a dagger, a pair of claws, Skill and Crossbones, a spear, a scimitar, Battlefields of War.

_Together, even in dreams._

The ethereal voice filled the air, yet Sora's ears didn't perceive it. It left him wondering whether or not he even heard it, that is, if you could call it hearing.

_Everything begins with sleep. There, stories end and stories begin._

Yes, the voice was there. It was not his imagination.

_A new journey is born. But don't be afraid. Don't stop walking._

His heart. The voice spoke to his heart. At once, he recognized the voice.

"You," he whispered. "You've been guiding me this whole time. Since the beginning, before even."

_I have, as I have guided many before you, as I will guide those after you._

Three pedestals appeared at the tips of the Keyblades, a sword, a wand, and a shield resting on them. Sora recognized them easily and realized what was happening.

_Choose, Kairi._

Startled at being acknowledged, she turned, wide-eyed, to Sora. He smiled at her, the smile which always warmed her heart and gave her confidence. Slowly, she approached the pedestals, inspecting each in turn. Finally, she grasped the wand.

_The power of the mage. Great wisdom. Is this the power you choose?_

"Yes."

The pedestals and weapons disappeared in a flash of light, leaving him blinking his eyes. A voice in the back of his mind, however, told him that the light wasn't as brilliant as before. The stained glass floor, also, seemed diminished, as if whatever light had shone through it before had dimmed. Whatever power resided in this place was weakening.

_My power is indeed waning._

This time Sora felt it, a great weariness and a sense of helplessness. It was the way Sora had felt after the Battle of One-Thousand Heartless, when he had had to choose to use the Keyblade or not.

The voice spoke in the back of his mind again. Questions began spinning through Sora's mind. He could not even begin to sort through them, let alone ask any of them. Fed up with this, the voice in his mind decided to take matters into his own hands. Roxas appeared in a flash of blue light next to Sora.

"What happens now?" he asked.

_That depends on the four of you._

Pink light flashed, leaving Naminé standing by Kairi.

_Four, yet two. Such a conundrum even I have not seen. Luckily, it is easily solved. Bodies are easier to create than hearts, after all._

All four of them blinked. "What?"

_You will understand when you awaken._

Sora sighed, "Never a straight answer." There was a strange rumbling in his chest after he said this, and his heart felt lighter. The presence...being...whatever – was laughing.

_Thank you, Sora._

"You sounded like you needed a good laugh."

_Hold tight to your light attitude. It will help you in the days to come._

"That doesn't sound good," Roxas grimaced.

_The inevitable battle is upon us. The fate of the three realms hangs in the balance. The judgement cannot be postponed any longer._

They looked at each other. It showed in their faces; they had expected this. But this didn't scare them. If anything, it only strengthened their resolve to do whatever it took to finally bring peace.

"What do we need to do?"

_You must..._

Suddenly, the ground shuddered and trembled, vibrating the glass. As quickly as it started, the floor calmed, yet it didn't feel quite stable anymore. The edges seemed to be blurring, like a watercolor painting that had gotten wet.

_No time...go...the worlds...shall guide you..._

The ornate design began shattering at the edges, shards plunging into the darkness. Huddling together, the four teenagers looked on worriedly. They did not fear for themselves, but for the being whose power weakened around them. Before they were returned to consciousness, though, there was something Sora wanted to know.

"Who are you?"

_...Hojevah..._

* * *

**New Characters:**

Roxas: Kingdom Hearts II  
Naminé: Kingdom Hearts II  
Hojevah: Kingdom Hearts III...? (You didn't think I'd give anything away _that _soon, did you?) His technical first "appearance" was in Kingdom Hearts.


	4. Jessu

Chapter 4: Jessu

**Past...**

Riku scowled at himself in the mirror. Or, more accurately, he scowled at Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, in the mirror. Sighing, he ran a hand through Ansem's silver hair. It might have been the same color as his hair, but it left his hand feeling oily and dirty. Everywhere felt oily and dirty, now.

At least it was worth it. Riku would even go crawling back to Maleficent if Sora needed it. After all, he was the one that started this whole mess. And, of course, Sora would be the first to forgive him, which was the problem. It would hurt too much to have Sora's forgiveness when he hadn't even forgiven himself, yet.

Suddenly, Riku felt faint. The room began spinning, the colors blurred together until everything went dark...

Riku opened his eyes to find himself lying on a decorative floor. It appeared to be some sort of stained-glass platform, though it was difficult to tell due to the fact that the only lighting was a twilit sky. Once his eyes had adjusted, he was able to see the picture.

The design was reminiscent of a yin-yang with the dots replaced by two faces. The face in the white section was Riku's, smiling like he used to, before the darkness. His face was also in the black section, but it was scowling, as he often did now, and was superimposed over Ansem's face.

_Welcome, Ansem. It is an honor._

Riku immediately dropped into a defensive stance. Experience had taught him not to trust mysterious, disembodied voices. At least, not voices that sounded so menacing.

_You have nothing to fear from me. I am simply not as benevolent as my colleagues._

"Forgive me, but I don't trust anyone who believes being in Ansem's presence an honor."

_That was sarcasm, something I thought you were acquainted with, Riku._

Now he heard it, a slight sneer coupled with a good-natured sense of humor. It reminded him of himself, or how he used to be. His heart just wasn't in it anymore.

_Must you be so depressing? I have my own woes to deal with. I don't want to hear yours._

Riku summoned Soul Eater to his hand. The prospect of being unarmed in the presence of some omniscient being, malevolent or not, was not appealing.

_Soul Eater. A perfect weapon to enhance the Dark powers you embraced so readily._

"What do you know?"

_I know that you did this to help Sora. You have the potential for incredible powers of Light. All you need is the proper weapon._

A single star drifted down from the sky and landed on the hilt of Soul Eater. The whole blade began glowing and changing. Something dangled down from the hilt and stretched out from the tip. Finally, the light dimmed and Riku was able to see what his weapon had become. What he saw made him gasp.

"A Keyblade!"

_A Keyblade? Oops, it was supposed to be a Struggle bat. Of course, it's a Keyblade! And it's not just any Keyblade, it's _the _Keyblade of Twilight. All it needs is a name._

"Way to the Dawn."

**Present...**

Once again, Riku opened his eyes to find himself in the twilit realm. Although, the picture on the platform had changed. Mickey's, Sora's, and his Keyblades took up the most room. Less prevalent were Roxas' and Kairi's Keyblades and many other weapons, only two of which he could identify as belonging to Donald and Goofy.

_Welcome, again, Riku, though it is not an honor this time._

He rolled his eyes, "Oh, darn."

_Excellent. I feared I would be alone in my sarcasm, again._

"How horrible for you."

The omniscient being chuckled, shaking Riku's rib cage. If it had a face, he bet it would be smirking at him. After all, it's what Riku would do and this being was like a kindred spirit to him.

_Now, don't go all sappy on me._

"Sora's the sap. Just tell me what I'm doing here this time."

_Blunt, too. Perfect. I have no patience for these things._

"Then why don't you get on with it, Voice?"

_Voice? The indignity! If you must call me by a name, call me Jessu._

"Fine, Jessu. Now, talk!"

_I cannot tell you much; unfortunately, it has been forbidden. Just know that a difficult task is ahead of you and as Master of Twilight, you are duty-bound to complete it._

"I suppose I have you to thank for that."

_But, of course._

"Why did you call me 'Master'? I thought Sora was."

_He is the Master of Light, so he is Master of Keyblade by default. The realm of Light is, by far, the largest and heroes who have mastered Light are easy to find, not to mention the least likely to abuse the Keyblade._

"So being the Keyblade Master is like being public relations?"

_Precisely._

"In that case, I'm glad I'm not the Master."

_As am I. There have been many Masters of Light over the millennia_, _as well as a few Masters of Darkness, but you are the first Master of Twilight. I was beginning to feel left out._

"Well, don't I feel special now?"

Riku fully expected Jessu to reply with an equally sarcastic remark. However, he remained unusually silent.

"Hello? Jessu? Cat got your non-existent tongue?"

He chuckled at his wit. Hopefully that or his words would prod Jessu into talking again. But the silence dragged on, leaving Riku apprehensive.

_Riku!_

The cry came suddenly, as if Jessu was struggling to maintain the connection between them. What shocked and worried Riku the most, though, was the tone of Jessu's voice. It was constricted in what could only be pain and radiated concern.

_I can't hold the connection much longer. Be careful. Astan has powers the likes of which you've never seen and he's not even at full strength..._

...and the connection broke.

* * *

**New Characters:**

Ansem, Seeker of Darkness (Xehanort's Heartless): Kingdom Hearts  
Jessu: Kingdom Hearts III...?  
Astan: Kingdom Hearts III...?


	5. Pristi

Chapter 5: Pristi

Mickey gingerly picked himself up off of the floor. He didn't bother opening his eyes yet; he knew he wouldn't be able to see. This was a special realm in his dreams that allowed him to communicate with the goddess that had given him his Keyblade. Mickey liked to think of her as his sensei.

Anyway, this realm had a nature similar to that of the Realm of Darkness, meaning it was pitch black. He took out his Keyblade. Being the Dark Realm's Keyblade, it couldn't make light. But, it could banish darkness, and without darkness, all that's left is light.

Funnily enough, he had always thought that his Keyblade _could_ manipulate light. It wasn't until after he met Riku that he realized this wasn't so. Meeting Riku changed his outlook on many things, including his own powers, which turned out to be, in fact, Powers of Darkness.

As the darkness receded, it revealed a beautiful work of stained glass art. To Mickey's horror, it was the floor and he was standing on its beauty.

"You've outdone yourself this time, Pristi. This is quite a change from the normal, grey path."

_It was Hojevah's idea. He wanted Jessu and me to use it to send a subliminal message..._

"...that all the Keyblade Wielders have to work together with anyone we can find to save all of the Realms."

_Precisely._

Mickey's heart swelled as Pristi's pride in him came through their connection. She had often told him that he was her favorite student. And he in turn was proud to have her as his sensei.

"I suppose ya can't tell me why, either."

_Of course not! I can't interfere, that would..._

"...be taking away free will, leaving us as lifeless hulls without minds." Mickey sighed, "I know."

_I'm sorry. I will offer as much guidance as I may, but you must find your own path alone._

"Aw, gee, I understand. Golly, it must be frustratin' to be a deity."

_Hojevah and Jessu would kill me for saying this to you, but it is _incredibly_ frustrating. They seem to think that it undermines our authority to admit things like that. Men. Hojevah's most likely treating those four like they're his children and Jessu would sooner cut off his arm than admit his feelings. Although it's obvious that he's pleased with Riku. Sometimes I think he gets lonely without someone to share insults with him. But, I love them both anyway. I suppose spending all eternity with them has made them grow on me._

She sighed then, revealing how much she truly cared about her friends. However, it was laced with sorrow. Regardless, Mickey cared about Pristi as well and worried for her well-being.

_Thank you, Mickey. It does my heart well to know that I have your support. Mortals don't often realize that deities enjoy being loved as much as they do. I hope you won't ever forget me._

"Why would I forget ya?"

_I will not lie to you. We are not immortal. There are evils great enough to destroy even gods. Our situation is dire, as yours will be shortly._

"Does this have anythin' to do with Xehanort?" Mickey began, speaking faster and faster as he went. "How did he open that door? Who is he? Where did he come from? I've been looking at everythin' I can get my paws on, but I can't find anythin'."

_Be careful. Knowledge is a powerful weapon. It can help, or destroy. Ansem learned that the hard way._

"I know. It's just that I can feel somethin' bad comin' and I know the answer lies in Xehanort's past."

_Forget this. Your time has passed, my friend. The fate of all lies with Sora now. His task is to find the answers you seek._

Trust all that to Sora? The idea was positively revolting! After all he had been put through, Mickey couldn't put yet another burden on his shoulders. A fifteen-year old should be enjoying childhood, not spending it saving the world.

_Believe me, it is our greatest sorrow that we must give such burdens to children. But, they are the only ones who can bear them._

He sighed, "Those kids deserve better."

Agreement flooded their connection, but Pristi didn't speak. Odd... She was one of the most talkative personalities Mickey knew, and he knew Yuffie! It seemed almost as if she was preoccupied with what was happening around her physical self. The connection they shared was only mental, after all.

"Pristi, what's the matter?"

His adrenaline - yes, he has adrenal glands - began pumping. All his instincts began screaming. Darkness, slippery, oily, evil darkness. He could feel it, different from his own, from Pristi's. The worst part of all of this was that Mickey knew it was Pristi who felt this and he could do nothing but wait and wonder.

Suddenly, his heart constricted as the darkness began groping for _him_. Pristi desperately struggled to push back this invasion into her mind. She could neither prevent it nor end the connection. The darkness would reach Mickey if something didn't happen soon.

With perfect timing, light flooded their connection, driving back the evil darkness. Combined with Pristi's own mastery of darkness, the threat was quickly suppressed.

_Mickey..._

Her voice was faint and breathless, a combination that did little to calm Mickey's shaking nerves.

_I have put you...in danger because...of our bond. All of you...are in danger...because of us. The next time we meet...it will be face to face. Good luck._

* * *

**New Characters:**

Pristi: Kingdom Hearts III...?


	6. The Hardships of Being Single

Chapter 6: The Hardships of Being Single

Sora gasped and sat up as the dream came to an abrupt halt. His head pounded from the sudden movements, both physical and mental. Groaning, he clutched his head.

"Are you alright, Sora?" Kairi asked, concerned.

Without opening his eyes, he shrugged off her concern. "Headache. Got up too fast." Hojevah's words came back to him. "Do you have any idea what Hojevah did about our 'conundrum'?"

"Why don't you open your eyes and find out?" came Roxas' voice. Sora cracked an eye, expecting to find the transparent form of Roxas that had appeared before. Instead, Roxas was lying on a bed next to him, his form quite solid. Kairi and Naminé were across from them, hiding grins behind their hands.

Just to be sure, Sora reached over and poked Roxas. "What are you doing?" he exclaimed.

"Just checking," Sora replied. He made to poke him again, but Roxas grabbed his wrist.

"Do that again and I'll break your hand." That threw Kairi and Naminé into fits of giggling.

"Okay, guys, in all seriousness, what's going on here?" asked Sora.

"Don't you remember what Hojevah said?" began Naminé. "'Bodies are easier to create than hearts.'"

Kairi stroked her chin thoughtfully. "But...that implies that you already had hearts of your own."

"Four, yet two," murmured Sora.

"Who cares?" Riku said. The four jumped, not realizing that he had also been lying on another cot. Now they noticed Mickey as well, who was shivering slightly in his sleep. Riku frowned at this, but continued anyway. "We have two more people to help us and it looks like we'll need anyone we can find."

Suddenly, Mickey jumped out of bed with a cry of, "Jiminy Christmas!" He shook himself, much like a dog does to shake off water. Finally, he plunked down on his mousey behind and sighed.

"Are you alright?" Sora asked, stifling giggles. Riku shot Sora a death glare. He, at least, realized the gravity of all this.

"Don't worry 'bout me, fellas," Mickey assured them, raising his head to smile at them. When he saw Roxas and Naminé, it wasn't confusion that rose in his face, but comprehension. "I was wondering why Pristi said the four of you."

"Pristi?" asked Sora, scratching his head in that adorably cute way he does.

"The goddess of the Dark Realm."

"Like Hojevah?" wondered Kairi.

"And Jessu?" Riku added.

Mickey nodded. "Yes. They are the gods that watch over the realms. But, they have to choose heroes to actually protect them."

"Why can't they just do it themselves?"

"That would be interfering with free will. Without free will, we're no better than puppets, er...puppets not enchanted by the Blue Fairy."

Voices began floating through the door. It sounded as if an argument had moved to right outside it.

"...trouble. I say we get rid of them."

"Well, gawrsh, Donald, shouldn't we wait 'til they wake up?"

"No! Do it now while we have the chance."

"I dunno...aren't they Sora's and Kairi's Nobodies? And that blond girl seems sorta familiar."

Mickey jumped up and threw back the door with surprising strength. "No one's gettin' rid of anybody!" He scurried off, leaving a bewildered Donald and Goofy staring after him. Their jaws dropped even more as the five teenagers followed him before finally going after them as well.

Mickey led them to the throne room, producing chuckles from Kairi and Riku going through the door. He reached under the arm of the throne, pressing a button that revealed a set of stairs to a hidden room. Descending the stairs, they gasped as they entered the large room housing a brilliant orb of light, the Cornerstone. Mickey strode up to it and stared into its depths, as if hoping to divine all the answers from it.

"Hojevah, Jessu, and Pristi are in big trouble," he said abruptly. Donald and Goofy looked imploringly at Sora, who mouthed, "Later," at them. "All the realms are in trouble. Some evil being with dark powers is attackin' them even as we speak-"

"Astan," said Riku.

"-and it's all they can do to hold him back." Mickey shuddered as he remembered the touch of Astan's darkness. Somehow, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd felt it before. "We have to help them, but I don't know how."

An uncomfortable silence stretched then. All of them were thinking about how to help. Yes, Hojevah said the worlds would guide them, but what did that mean? There were so many worlds; where would they start?

Sora was so desperate for answers that he found himself gazing at the Cornerstone as the king had. Something in its shining depths calmed him, opened his mind to think more clearly. His heart could open the door to light. It happened before because his heart was connected to Kairi's, and then Donald's and Goofy's. As the Keyblade Master, wasn't he also connected to the hearts of the worlds too? He looked deep in his heart and found a connection that cried out to him.

"Right now, Radiant Garden needs our help," Sora whispered.

"I suppose that means you'll be gone a while again," came Minnie's quiet voice from the doorway. She heaved a heavy sigh. "Go do what you have to. The sooner you do it, the sooner we can be together."

They held each other's eyes before Mickey nodded resolutely. A fierce determination radiated from his small frame as he led the march to the Gummi Hangar.

As Naminé reached the door, she turned and looked back at the Cornerstone. Something was niggling at her mind, a part of her that she hadn't touched in a long time, her power over Sora's memories. It was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't figure out what. Shrugging, she followed the others to the Gummi Hangar.

Several hours later, the Gummi Ship neared Radiant Garden air space. A major discussion had taken place before then, leaving everyone apprehensive about the state they would find the world in.

To everyone's surprise, destruction didn't meet their eyes. The part of the city that had been destroyed by the Heartless rampage showed no trace of the event, save for the lack of buildings. The town looked as if it had been renovated and showed signs of a flourishing business district. But the most breathtaking sight was the soft sparkles of light that drifted over everything like a gentle snow flurry.

"It's beautiful," Kairi breathed. She gazed at what was once her home with genuine delight. If such a destitute world could pick itself up like that, maybe their task was within reach, too. Even Riku had a similar look on his face, although other emotions also played over his features.

The Gummi Ship landed in its usual spot, but the kiosks that Donald's nephews had run were replaced by large, garish shops with products ranging from weapons to souvenirs. Scrooge's ice cream freezer had expanded into a small ice cream parlor and the Moogle shop now took up an entire block.

They began wandering down the street, passing increasingly colorful advertisements. None of the shops looked remotely interesting...until they came to the video game shop.

"Reserve your copy now," Sora read off the large sign posted outside. "Kingdom Hearts II, the second adventure of Sora, the Keyblade Master. Encounter even more heroes and villains; travel to amazing worlds you've never experienced; use powerful new techniques, magic, and combination attacks; experience an adventure larger and deeper than ever before; and control the all-new playable character, Roxas."

"All right!" yelled Roxas, pumping his fist in the air.

"That game is my best seller and it hasn't even come out yet," the shopkeeper chuckled, stepping out from behind the sign. He eyed them for a moment, as if trying to decide the pitch that would best persuade them. Instead, he surprised them by saying, "I hope the third one turns out well," before retreating back into the shop.

They stared at the recently vacated spot for a moment. Then Kairi squealed and dragged Naminé into the next store. The boys, particularly Sora and Roxas, groaned as they read the name of the store that they would inevitably have to enter: Plushie Emporium.

"Do we have to?" whined Roxas.

Sora sighed, "We do if we want to keep our girlfriends happy."

"Have fun," snorted Riku.

"You're coming, too," they both said, grabbing Riku and dragging him with them.

They waded through the displays of plushies, carefully avoiding contact with the giggly shoppers while keeping an eye out for Kairi and Naminé.

While wandering, Sora eyed a plushie that looked suspiciously like Xehanort's Heartless. A wicked grin spread over his face. "Hey, Riku!" he called, holding up the plushie. "SUBMIT!" Riku took one look at it and blasted it to pieces with Dark Aura.

"Hey!" screamed a cashier. "You have to pay for that!" Roxas and Sora laughed their heads off as the cashier came to berate Riku and get the munny out of him. Scowling, he handed over the munny, finally getting the cashier to leave.

"Look what we got!"

Now it was Riku's turn to laugh. Kairi and Naminé came over, each holding a plushie out for them to see; one, a plushie Sora, the other, a plushie Roxas. They both just stared at the plushies in horror.

Naminé smirked at their discomfort. "Now we have someone to keep us company in bed." Both boys turned a brilliant crimson at this remark, causing Riku to laugh harder.

Their antics had caught the attention of the entire store, now. Most girls were checking the guys out. But one girl was checking out the plushie in her hand; a Riku plushie. She screamed and yelled, "It's Riku!"

Suddenly, all the girls in the store surged towards him. His laughter immediately stopped as his face twisted in terror. He made for the exit as fast as his legs would carry him.

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy waited patiently outside for the teens to finish in the store. Although, when Riku came barreling out followed by a flock of fervent fangirls, they started to worry. The other four came out next, clutching their stomachs.

"Gawrsh, maybe we should help poor Riku," muttered Goofy, placing a finger on his lip.

"I know," Sora gasped, "I was planning on it...eventually. Meet me at Merlin's." With that, he took off after the screaming mob.

Some girls had cut Riku off, effectively surrounding him. They slowly closed in on their prey. But, before they managed to pounce, Sora grabbed Riku and extracted him from the pack. He navigated Riku through the alleys until they both reached the safety of Merlin's house and slammed the door closed.

"Why me?" groaned Riku.

"Because you're the single guy, bucko," said Yuffie, winking at him.

"Wonderful."

"Astounding!" exclaimed Merlin, emerging from his toys to look at Roxas and Naminé. "Simply astounding. Sora and Kairi seem completely whole, yet you stand before me." He poked Roxas, who scowled miserably but bit his tongue. Sora hid a grin.

"They can help interrogate the rascals," said Cid from his console. "Leon sure ain't doin' a good job of it."

"Rascals?" asked Sora.

"We caught five guys snoopin' around Ansem's office. Leon's been tryin' to find out who they are, with no luck."

"We'll go have a look at them. Maybe they're the reason we're here."

"Eh?"

"I'm sure that something's wrong here, I'm just not sure what that is."

Yuffie sighed, "There's always something wrong here." She perked up a bit, not being capable of being down for long. "But the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee is always here to fix it. C'mon, I'll take you to Leon and work on your membership cards while you're doing that."

* * *

**New Characters:**

Minnie: Mickey's Surprise Party (1939)  
Merlin: The Sword in the Stone (1963)


	7. Revisiting Demons

Chapter 7: Revisiting Demons

Luckily, Yuffie knew enough about the town to navigate through little known places. Riku's fan girl mob only managed to find them once. A quick Reflega spell from Donald took care of them. Soon, they came to the labyrinth of halls, in which lay Ansem's study and, more importantly, his computer, Tron.

"Couldn't Tron identify these guys for you?" asked Sora.

"Nope," Yuffie replied. "He and Cid worked on the vital systems for a while after you helped with our MCP problem. Once that was done, Leon gave Tron the okay to run a cleaning program to try to clean up all those corrupted files. Problem is, he's using up most of the free memory space to run it. What little memory is left is used by the vital systems."

"So, you guys are sitting ducks for now," said Riku, ignoring Donald's indignant squawk.

"I didn't say that," Yuffie said, grinning. The next thing Riku knew, he was pinned to the wall of the study, shuriken in his sleeve and pant legs.

Sora chuckled and went to help Riku down. His feet crunched on something as he bent to remove the shuriken from Riku's pants. Looking down, he saw a cracked picture frame with a picture of seven men. The only recognizable figure was Ansem the Wise. Shrugging, he finished freeing Riku and they followed Yuffie down a newly finished corridor to the dungeons.

Leon stalked out of a door, pinching the bridge of his nose. His breath hissed slowly out of his clenched teeth. "I can't deal with this anymore."

"Aren't you going to be happy when I tell you that you don't have to," Yuffie beamed at him. Leon looked up sharply, taking in the group of eight before him. He jerked his head toward the door.

"Good luck," he muttered.

Roxas was the first through the door, and almost the last. The sight of the prisoners stopped him cold in his tracks, right in the doorway.

"Impossible," he breathed.

"You're one to talk," snorted Riku.

Sora pushed past Roxas to see what had shocked him. What he saw was five faces, equally shocked at seeing first Roxas and then Sora push through the door to their room with five separate cells lining it. However, Sora was more intrigued by the familiar men occupying the cells.

Riku was the next to make it through the door, a sour expression on his face. "Numbers II through VI."

It was true that the five men looked much like the Organization members, but there were subtle differences, and not just in their clothes. Xigbar was dressed in a long-sleeve black shirt with a tan leather throw over on top, jeans, and ranch boots. It was actually surprising not to find a ranch hat over the long, black ponytail streaked with dirty blond stripes.

Next to him was Xaldin, his hair in a low ponytail at the base of his neck. A poofy, white cotton shirt and baggy blue pants, along with loose leather sandals, gave him the look of a Shakespearean actor.

Looking slightly out of place, Vexen wore a lab coat – testament to his ever curious nature – that was far too large, covering his hands and feet. His slightly-longer-than-shoulder-length dirty blond hair showed split ends in need of a good trim.

Lexaeus' hulking form dwarfed the cell he was in. His attire – a tight, white shirt; tight, black shorts; and sneakers – plus red-orange, spiked hair only enhanced the look of strength about him.

And last, Zexion in black jeans, a white shirt, and a black, zip-up hoodie. His face was obscured by his black hair, the part in front of his face died a deep blue.

Sora gasped as he remembered the faces he had hurriedly glanced at in the picture. "No," he breathed. "These are Ansem's apprentices."

"So you noticed," mumbled Xaldin...Dilan. Sora shuddered at his choice of words. Dilan peered at the assembled curiously. Indeed, all of them looked intrigued, now that the initial shock had worn off.

"How are you whole? How are you even alive?" Roxas exploded.

"You think we know?" snorted Braig. "As if."

Even responded while rummaging through the many pockets in his apron, "I suspect it was Ansem's encoder." He finally managed to find a strange glass through which he examined Roxas. "The explosion disrupted Kingdom Hearts. I can only assume that this disruption caused our hearts and our faded Nobodies to recombine." Looking like a delighted child, he stowed his glass back in his pockets and reached a finger towards Roxas.

Roxas slapped Even's had away. "Don't even think about it. And I didn't mean that as a pun, either."

Even huffed and pulled out another tool. "I just want to know how you and Sora can exist separately from each other while still being whole," he pouted.

Dilan chuckled, "Still as stubborn as ever. You and Naminé always were different, somehow, almost as if you were still connected to your hearts. It helped that you were around others with hearts, too."

Even leapt to his feet then with an excited sort of squeak and promptly tripped on the hem of his overly-long coat. Righting himself, he brushed off the dirt and continued as if nothing had happened. "Of course! I'm surprised you didn't see it, Naminé." He paused dramatically and Sora smirked, half-hoping he would say 'Kingdom Hearts.' Instead, he said, "Memories. A heart is formed mainly from learning from memories."

Sora pondered about this. "And it's overcome by stripping it of memories, removing them completely, not just unchaining them." Naminé looked sideways at him once he said that, smiling at some private recollection that Sora didn't know...at least, he thought he didn't.

"Yes. Memories stripped by the Heartless are discarded along with the body, but those memories already belong to a heart. It takes _new_ memories to form _new_ hearts, made around other hearts."

"So by joining with Xemnas and removing ourselves from the light, we actually doomed ourselves?" Ienzo deadpanned.

"Enough theories, they never did us any good," Dilan interjected. "Far more is at stake here."

Sora gasped, "Do you know what's going on?"

Slowly, Ienzo closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. "Darkness builds in the tower, the Grand Hall, if I'm not mistaken."

Grimacing, Sora said, "Well...that _is_ where the Keyhole is..." He looked around. Everyone looked uncomfortable with the thought of going there, though it was clear they were all willing to go. "I have to go, but I'll understand if you guys don't want to."

Riku smirked and punched Sora playfully. "You're nuts if you think we'd let you go alone."

"Facing demons is often painful, but beneficial," came Eleaus' soft voice. Everyone blinked at his sudden entrance into the conversation. The Silent Hero, watching from the shadows until needed. "Perhaps it is time we face ours as well. That is, if you will permit it."

"No!" Roxas immediately exclaimed. "You never would have done something like this while you were still part of the Organization. Why should we think you'll do differently now? How do we know we can even trust what you've told us?"

"You don't. You will just have to have faith in us."

Sora shrugged. "I have no problems with that."

"Of course you don't!" retorted Roxas. "You were perfectly willing to give Xehanort's Heartless a second chance."

"I'm willing to give you one, too!"

Roxas flinched, as if struck. Everyone eyed them warily, not sure how to handle the situation. After all, Sora and Roxas were almost the same person. Neither moved, just stared at the other. Finally, Roxas looked away and stalked out of the room, Naminé trailing behind him concernedly.

Sora faced the apprentices, "What's next for you then?"

They shared a glance quickly before Eleaus replied, "We will stay here and help clean up the mess we helped create."

Leon, who had entered unnoticed as was his way, looked at the men with newfound interest. "You want to join the Restoration Committee?"

"If you agree to it..."

"Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

Braig smirked, "Because we knew you'd eventually call the Keyblade Master if we didn't. We couldn't pass up the chance to help him, especially with the trouble that's brewin'."

Quietly, Leon whispered aside to Sora, "What do you think?"

Sora gazed at the men before him. They didn't seem different, personality wise, from what he knew of their Nobodies. No emotions showed in their faces, although that could just be their scientific natures. But, somehow, he knew he could trust them. It didn't make sense in his mind, but when did that ever stop his heart?

"Give them a chance." With that, he went to each cell and unlocked it.

They had hardly moved, though, when Yuffie bounced in, new cards in hand. "I've got you...huh? What's going on here?"

"You're going to need to make five more cards because we just got five new members," said Leon. For once, Yuffie was speechless. Seizing the opportunity, Leon ushered Yuffie back through the door and motioned for the newest members of the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee to follow. They complied, filing out in numerical order, amusingly enough.

Ienzo, however, stopped before Sora. "Call on us when the final battle is at hand," he said before moving on.

The party left as well to find Roxas and Naminé before setting off towards the castle and the darkness waiting there.

* * *

**New Characters:**

Ansem the Wise/DiZ (deceased): Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories  
Tron: Tron (1982)  
Braig: Kingdom Hearts II...sort of  
Dilan: Kingdom Hearts II...partly  
Even: Kingdom Hearts II...kind of  
Eleaus: Kingdom Hearts II...a bit  
Ienzo: Kingdom Hearts II...in a sense


	8. A New Enemy

Chapter 8: A New Enemy

Sora's feet echoed across the Entrance Hall as he walked through the door. His hair prickled at the leftover magic in the air. Worriedly, he glanced at Riku, who was trying hard not to notice the pockets of dark magic or the scorch marks here and there. Sora placed a hand on Riku's shoulder and smiled at him.

"You've got to stop beating yourself up over this," Sora said. "It's not healthy."

Riku smirked. "We're Keyblade Wielders, destined to fight the darkness until we die, and you tell me self-guilt is unhealthy."

Kairi had moved to stand in front of the fountain, a strange look on her face. Leaving Riku, Sora went to stand beside her. He shivered as he realized what spot he was standing on, the exact spot where Kairi had helped him regain himself.

"When I saw you fade away," she began in a strangled voice, "it nearly broke my heart. But, I wouldn't let you go..."

"I'm glad you didn't," he murmured.

She turned away. "It hurt, though. I thought you might have gone for good. I never want to feel like that again. Promise me you won't do that again."

Sora spun her so that he could see her face. He wiped away some tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks before taking her hands. "I can't promise that. I would gladly lose my heart again if it meant saving yours."

Just then, Goofy tripped and crashed into a vase, scattering the bouncy, green, health balls. Donald quickly hit him over the head. Sighing, Sora was slightly annoyed at them for ruining the mood. They did have a job to do, though.

Smirking, Roxas asked, "What would happen if you lost your heart again?" He and Sora seemed to have unconsciously worked out their issues on the way to the castle.

Sora thought about that for a moment. "What would happen if _you_ lost your heart?"

"God help us if that happens," Riku shivered. "_One_ Sora was bad enough. Two is pushing it. But, three...or even, dare I say it, _four...?_"

Naminé and Kairi shared devious looks. "Two for each of us?" Kairi asked.

"I like the sound of that," Naminé said before the two of them erupted in giggles.

Mickey, who had kept quiet for a long time, finally spoke, "I'm going to check the library." His voice held an uncharacteristic hint of annoyance and his posture was rigid as he marched off.

Everyone shared baffled looks. Even Donald and Goofy were at a loss for what to do. Sighing, Riku said, "Meet you later." He followed Mickey to the library.

Shelves upon shelves of books created a labyrinth that a person could easily get lost in. Maleficent had made Riku lug the shelves around and remove books to create a puzzle that Sora had to solve to gain access to the upper level of the Entrance Hall. Of course, it didn't stop Sora, but he made a racket and took a lot of time doing it. Time enough for Xehanort's Heartless to take over his body.

Scowling, Riku headed up the stairs to find Mickey at the desk on that floor. In the short time Mickey was there, he had managed to make it as cluttered as his own desk. Currently, he was flipping through a compilation of Ansem's theories, taking his irritation out on the pages.

"You're going to rip the pages, that way," Riku quietly stated. Mickey ignored him, though he did stop his attack on the tome. "What's wrong?"

Mickey turned away, as if ashamed, but seemed unable to not answer. "I'm scared."

"We all are."

Wrenching his eyes from the book, Mickey finally faced Riku. "This is different, Riku. It isn't just a madman experimenting with the darkness. I don't think Sora realizes how serious this is." His distinct diction wasn't present in his words. Not good.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Mickey sighed, "Pristi told me that everything is up to Sora and that he will find all the answers. Fighting, I know Sora can do, but finding answers...?"

"Sora thinks better with his heart, not his head."

"Right."

"You're also frustrated at feeling useless."

"...Right."

Riku placed a hand on Mickey's shoulder. "Just have some faith in him. It always works out for him in the end."

"Yes. I suppose that's why I trusted his judgement with the apprentices." Mickey seemed to struggle with himself for a few moments before placing a smile back on his face. "Whelp, we should head back." He headed to the door. Before going through, he looked back at Riku. "Thank you."

"It's the least I could do." Riku followed Mickey, but with a heavy heart. For the first time, Riku noticed how old and tired his friend really was.

* * *

Riku was able to navigate them through several shortcuts that Maleficent had shown him. So, it wasn't a surprise when the Castle Chapel was undisturbed. No large shoe prints were in the dust, yet. Riku could hear their footfalls from the Lift Stop and he and Mickey went forward to meet the rest of the party.

"About time you guys got here!" Riku yelled.

Sora goggled at Riku. "How did you get here so fast?" he spluttered.

"You took the long way here," Riku smirked. The conversation was cut short, though, when six flashes of light indicated the arrival of six Keyblades.

"What is it?" Roxas called from the back. "Heartless or Nobodies?"

Sora blinked at the sight. "Both."

One measly Shadow and a loan Dusk formed at the opposite side of the room and hobbled towards the party. They didn't seem any different than any other Shadow or Dusk that had appeared before. It's just that they never appeared together. At least...not as allies.

Feeling slightly unsettled, Sora dispatched both. It seemed too easy. The heart from the Heartless started drifting away, as always. The wisps of nothing started dissipating, as always. And yet...something seemed different this time. The wisps seemed to reach upward, groping for the heart. Sora brushed it off as a coincidence and headed for the Grand Hall.

His hair bristled as power surged in the room. He spun quickly to watch as a sickly, green-tinged darkness seeped through the nothing and gave it form. A thin tentacle captured the heart and dragged it into the center of the now solid mass. A dark flame formed, enveloping and melding the remains of the Heartless and Nobody.

When the flames died, it left a lumpy, vaguely humanoid figure – its form kept shifting, as if it was made from a highly viscous material – that was taller than a Shadow, yet shorter than a Dusk. The body was a uniform color, the same, sickly, green-tinged black as before. A sense of unnaturalness rolled off of it and grated Sora's nerves. But the most disturbing thing was the eyes. They were such a deep obsidian color that they seemed to be portals to the darkness that could swallow a person in their depths.

That ponderous gaze fell upon Sora and pressed on his heart more effectively than any Gravity spell until he couldn't bear it anymore. He made a quick thrust at the..._thing_ and jumped back to gauge its reaction. Imagine his surprise when his Keyblade didn't come with him, stuck in the thing where Sora had thrust it. It was simple to call the Keyblade back to his hand, but figuring out what to do next wasn't so simple.

"So physical attacks are no good," Riku said, a tremor of nervousness tinging his voice.

Sora grunted. Nothing was impervious to _all _physical attacks. "They are if they're fast enough."

He aimed a brutally fast downward slash at the thing that should have sliced it in two. Before it hit, though, the thing oozed into the ground, not even leaving a trace of itself like Shadows did. Sora's Keyblade crashed into the stone, throwing up sparks.

"Where'd it go?" asked Sora, twisting back towards everyone else. Shrugs and shaking heads answered him.

Suddenly, the thing oozed back up out of the floor and molded itself over Sora's feet. He tried to pull away, but it had a firm hold on him and his feet didn't budge. Desperately, he struggled to free himself, but it only gripped him tighter.

Kairi rushed forward to help him, but Sora stopped her, shouting, "No, don't! It might get you, too."

"Hold still," Riku commanded. He motioned Kairi aside and held up his palm. Several blasts of dark energy fired into the thing. Its skin rippled as the blasts hit and disappeared inside it.

Sora gaped. "Magic doesn't work either? Wha-" His voice broke off as pain tore through his body. Hunching over, he gritted his teeth and waited for it to stop. The effort left him panting.

He looked up to see Riku half-restraining, half-comforting Kairi. This produced some weak chuckles from Sora that calmed Kairi down, at least enough for her to stop struggling.

"You alright?" Riku grunted.

"Yeah," Sora said. "But I haven't felt anything like that since...well...since I fought you, Riku."

"Nothin' a Curaga can't cure," Donald said, flourishing his wand. He pointed it at Sora. The spell had started to ease the pain in his sore muscles when it shifted to the thing and healed it instead.

"Wait!" Roxas exclaimed. "Try aiming it at the...whatever it is." Donald cast the spell on the thing, but that healed it, too. "Worth a try," sighed Roxas.

Riku walked towards Sora, examining the thing. "You might be on to something, Roxas," he muttered. "It looks like it can reroute spells, taking in supportive spells and deflecting negative spells." He looked at Sora. "In that case, it _was_ my spell that hit you."

"You can make it up to me by getting this thing off me," he chuckled. "My feet are starting to get uncomfortably warm. Y'know, a Blizzaga sounds really good about now."

"Won't that squishy thing there just use it on Sora?" Goofy pondered.

"Maybe not," said Mickey. "Try it, Donald."

The snowflakes from Donald's wand were swallowed, just like the other spells. This time, though, the thing froze solid, making it an easy task to chip it off Sora's feet. Each piece that came off shattered and dissipated until finally the stolen heart was released and drifted off to Kingdom Hearts.

The minute Sora was out of danger, Kairi launched herself at him. "I'm fine," Sora mumbled. "Honestly, you worry too much."

Riku cleared his throat a little embarrassedly, "He's right. Save it until after the big bosses." He turned to Naminé. "You too." Frowning, he asked, "What do you think that thing was?"

"There's nothing like it in my journal," said Jiminy, hopping onto Sora's shoulder.

"It wasn't a Heartless or a Nobody," Naminé stated.

"I think it was whole," Kairi offered. "I mean, it was basically made from combining a Heartless and a Nobody. But, something about it seemed...perverted."

"I'll start working on an entry, anyway," Jiminy said. "I think I'll call it...a Golem."

Sora shivered. "Whatever you call it, let's get out of here in case any more show up. Who knows if they can form without the Heartless and Nobody being destroyed near each other." He moved on toward the Grand Hall and everyone soon followed.

The immense room hadn't changed. Not even a layer of dust was on the floor. The power of the Keyhole permeated the air.

By unspoken agreement, the party spilt up to search the room while Sora went to check the Keyhole. Nothing seemed to be amiss with it, as far as Sora could tell. His Keyblade wasn't reacting, at any rate.

"What do you think?" Roxas asked, coming up beside him.

Sora shook his head in confusion. "It's definitely not the Keyhole that Ienzo sensed."

"Then what was it?"

Barriers sprang up around the circular platform, cutting everyone off as effectively as it had before.

"I have a feeling we're about to find out," Sora groaned.

Another dark flame appeared, a much larger one. When this one died, it revealed a young, blond-haired man dressed in a yellow shirt with red-and-black checked sleeves, a leather jerkin, black shorts, and yellow shoes that could rival Sora's. His eyes were that same deep obsidian, reeking of unnaturalness.

In his right hand was a Keyblade.


	9. Equipped by Shinra

Chapter 9: Equipped by Shinra

Roxas and Sora gaped at the Keyblade-wielding young man before them. He looked a lot like Tidus, only a few years older and with pant legs that were the same length. His Keyblade was similar to _Fenrir_, being long and without anything extending from the tip. It was light blue at the hilt and gradually got darker. There was no keychain.

The Keyblade Wielder took advantage of their surprise. "Hit and Run!" he cried, randomly charging and slicing them six times, hitting Sora twice and Roxas four times.

While they were still reeling from the blows, he jumped in the air, holding his Keyblade high, yelling: "Force Rain!" Energy charged along the length of his Keyblade. With an arching swing, the Wielder flung the energy into the ground at Sora's and Roxas's feet. It caused an explosion that threw them up and then sucked them back down, slamming them painfully into the ground.

Sora, who relied on massive endurance to keep him going while he bashed away, took the attacks and still had about half of his health. On the other hand, Roxas relied more on speed and dodging, so he didn't fare as well. Summoning his Keyblade, Sora pushed himself up off the floor. Noting Roxas's heavy breathing, Sora cast Curaga and, due to their close proximity, the spell healed both of them.

"Thanks," said Roxas, summoning his own Keyblades.

"No problem," Sora grunted, dashing forward and landing a never-ending string of hits. Somehow, the Wielder found an opening in Sora's berserk attack and sent Sora flying into the barrier.

"Spin Cut!" the Wielder bellowed. He turned on Roxas, crossing the distance with an impressive gymnastic routine, ending with a flip that finished with a powerful downward strike. Easily dodging this attack, Roxas unleashed his own combo. He crossed his Keyblades and slammed them into the ground, sending up shockwaves.

This brought the Wielder close to Sora again, however. A truly malicious smile flitted across the young man's face that didn't look natural on his features. "Terror of Zanarkand," he said, his voice deadly quiet.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, quiet enough to hear heartbeats. Then the Wielder was slashing at Sora; left, right, left, right, left, right. Up. Down. Then he leaped back and placed his Keyblade in the ground to use it as a springboard. A blitzball came flying out of nowhere at the Wielder, who hammered it into Sora.

Even Sora's health couldn't protect him from that attack. He glared at his enemy while kneeling, patiently waiting for his magic to return.

"This isn't working," Roxas growled. He rummaged through his pockets and found a Hi-Potion, which he threw at Sora. It renewed his strength, just as his magic was replenished.

"So what do you think we should do?" asked Sora.

"Follow my lead."

Roxas poured all of his magic – he might not have known any spells, but he certainly had magic – into his Keyblades. "Ready!" he said, crossing them parallel to his chest. Kneeling, he raised them above his head. A bolt of energy – light from Oathkeeper, dark from Oblivion – came from their tips, meeting in the middle to form a sort of pouch.

The Wielder sensed the energy surge. He began another 'Terror of Zanarkand.' Roxas took the eight hits unflinchingly.

It seemed Roxas and Sora were still connected somewhat; Sora instinctively knew exactly what Roxas wanted him to do. After the Wielder withdrew, Sora quickly scrambled over, jamming his magic into his Keyblade. "Aim!" he yelled, fitting the hilt into the pouch, which allowed the power of the three Keyblades to mingle. He drew the hilt backward in the pouch, causing the bolts to stretch taut.

Sora sighted down the end of his Keyblade, aiming at the Wielder, who was readying to kick another blitzball. "Fire!" they both yelled. Sora released his Keyblade right as the Wielder's foot met the ball. Charged with so much power, the Keyblade annihilated the ball as it streaked through the air. The shaft of metal, crackling with light and dark energy, passed straight through the Wielder's chest.

Crying with agony, the Wielder fell to the ground. His body dissolved into the green-tinged darkness, which dissipated. His Keyblade clattered to the ground. Even after the last trace of the Wielder was gone, his Keyblade remained.

Perhaps out of curiosity, perhaps for another reason, Sora was drawn to the Keyblade. Walking over, he grasped the hilt. A flash of light blinded him and he had to close and cover his eyes.

When he finally opened them again, he gasped. He was no longer in the Grand Hall, or even Radiant Garden. Instead, he was in a dusty desert. Thousands of Keyblades, all without keychains, were point down in the dirt, forming four wide paths that intersected. In the middle were three Keyblades that _did_ have keychains; Kingdom Key, Way to the Dawn, and the Dark Realm's Keyblade.

A figure approached out of the haze. Sora was trying to summon his Keyblade when he realized that the other Wielder's Keyblade – the name _Despair's Bane_ floated through his mind – was still in his hand.

"Please, I mean you no harm," the figure said, raising an arm. Coming closer, Sora saw that the figure was the Wielder that he had just defeated, though his eyes were back to normal. Even so, Sora wasn't taking any chances and he lowered into a fighting stance, not caring what he had in his hand.

"Then why did you attack me?" Sora asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"It wasn't me, not exactly," the Wielder tried to begin, though it looked more like he was having difficulty putting his thoughts together.

"Go on...," Sora urged him, holding his pose.

The Wielder looked relieved, though not much. "My name is Shuyin. I protected Radiant Garden as the world's Keyblade Wielder while I was still living."

Sora blinked, startled. "You're dead?"

"Yes. This place" – he gestured around him – "is the Crossroads, though right now it is only a place in my memories. This is where the Keyblade rests when it isn't with you and is where it comes to rest eternally when its Wielder dies."

"Then all these Keyblades...represent dead Wielders. Is that why they don't have keychains?"

"Yes. The Keyblade is the power held in a Wielder's heart given physical form. It truly is an extension of yourself. A Keyblade is given power by its keychain, which represents the soul. Anyone can put part of their soul into a keychain, as you have discovered. Keychains are a great way to create unbreakable bonds between lives. Anyway, a person dies when the soul leaves the body. Consequently, the Keyblade loses its keychain and comes to rest here, since it can't be destroyed. The Wielder's heart is connected so deeply with the Keyblade that it comes to rest here, as well, instead of Kingdom Hearts.

"Tell me, what is a heart?"

Sora pondered this question, unwittingly slackening his posture. "It's your memories and the...lessons you learn from them."

Quirking an eyebrow, Shuyin asked, "So two people with the exact same memories will have identical hearts."

"No...," Sora replied slowly. "Each person learns something slightly different."

Shuyin nodded. "If you extracted my memories from my Keyblade, you would interpret them differently than I would. Each Keyblade you see here" – he gestured again – "still holds its Wielder's memories. Astan knows this and uses it to his advantage. He uses the memories to create and control a sort of puppet with his dark magic. So, you see, it wasn't me that attacked you, but a likeness of me that Astan created. He calls his puppets the Restless. Beware, because the Restless have the powers that the Wielder had in life. The eyes will give them away."

Now Sora dropped his fighting stance entirely. "How are you here now, then?"

Shuyin pointed at his Keyblade in Sora's hand. "_Despair's Bane_. You are the Master of the Light Realm, my native realm. When you touched my Keyblade, I had to answer your call, dead or not. The last bit of Astan's power still sustaining me has enabled me to bring you here in my memories."

"What about those other creatures, the Golems?"

Anger suddenly contorted Shuyin's face. "They are one of the Halfhearted, another of Astan's monstrous creations. He forces a heart to join with the body and soul of another."

Sora flinched, revolted. "That's just wrong!"

"Look for their eyes, too. All Astan's creations have the same eyes." Shuyin broke off when _Despair's Bane_ began glowing. "There isn't much time left. I will use the last of Astan's power to create something to help you. Good luck, Sora, Master of Light! And keep an eye out for the final key."

The glow grew and Sora had to shield his eyes again. He didn't open them until someone shook him roughly.

"Hey, Sora! You alright?" Roxas asked concernedly, peering into Sora's face.

"Huh?" Sora looked around, trying to get his bearings again.

"Well, you walked over to that Keyblade like you were in a trance. When you touched it, there was a lot of light that drove off the Golems that attacked everyone else. Then it faded and you were standing there with _that _in your hand."

Sora glanced down at his hand. Instead of _Despair's Bane_, there was a red glass sphere with smoke swirling in its depths. It kind of reminded him of his Drive Charms.

"Ooooh! Yunie! He's got a sphere!" came a twittering voice.

"I bet it's junk," said another voice. It sounded impatient and slightly bored.

"Let's look at it, anyway," suggested a third voice. In a shower of sparks, the Gullwings appeared.

Paine flew up into Sora's face, brandishing a fist. "Hand it over, or else!"

Sora backed away and nearly tripped over Kairi, who had bounded up the steps as soon as the barriers had lowered. "I don't even know what it is!" Sora spluttered. "Why do you want it?"

"It's a treasure sphere, silly," Rikku trilled. "There's a memory inside it that we want to watch."

"Yeah," Yuna added proudly. "We're sphere hunters and sphere hunters hunt spheres." Rolling her eyes at Yuna, Paine muttered something that sounded like "goody-goody."

Grabbing the sphere out of Sora's hand, Paine did something that made images appear on the sphere's surface. Looking more closely, Sora discerned images of Shuyin fighting, occasionally using his special moves.

Rikku gasped excitedly. "Yunie! It's you-know-who!" she squealed.

But Yuna shook her head sadly. "No. Just his face," she sighed.

Kairi glanced at Yuna in concern. "Is something wrong?"

"Not all treasure is material," muttered Paine.

Flittering about anxiously, Rikku said, "We were minding our own business, cruisin' around Spira, when there was this big dimensional shift that dropped us here as teeny, little sprite people. Talk about rotten luck. We don't know where _any_ of our other friends are and poor Yunie lost her beau. We only know that us Gullwings are right here."

"We know the sphere _is_ junk, too," Paine spat. She handed the sphere back to Sora. It flashed once before sinking into Sora's glove. Power surged in Sora's muscles, causing them to stiffen as some power escaped as a burst of light. When he looked down, he saw that he was wearing an outfit similar to Shuyin's. Curious, he called the Keyblade and _Despair's Bane _appeared.

"Wooow!" quacked Donald. "A new drive form."

"And you don't need us to do it, a-hyuck!" Goofy grinned.

"Astounding!" exclaimed the voice of a small boy with a lisp. Another sprite appeared, though this one looked more like a beetle. The boy, if he was a boy at all, had an old-fashioned diver's suit on, complete with the round helmet. He examined Sora's clothes, which reverted halfway through the inspection.

"That's Shinra, another Gullwing," Rikku stated. "He's a genius, even if he is a bit woo-hoo."

"Astounding!" Shinra repeated. "Your clothes employ something akin to a garment grid, though it seems to utilize magical parameters as opposed to technological ones. I believe it warrants further study, if you will consent to it."

"Go ahead," Sora shrugged. "Just don't go down my shirt or anything."

"Do you think you'll be able to figure out how to give other clothes drive forms?" Roxas asked.

Shinra poked his head out of the pocket he'd just entered. "I'm just a kid."

"That means no," Paine deadpanned.

"Cheer up, Roxas," Riku said. "You and Sora came up with a nice Limit."

Jiminy hopped onto Sora's shoulder. "Why don't you name it so I can put it in my journal?"

"How about Slingshot Limit?" Roxas pondered.

"I like it. Now, what about the new drive form?"

"Shuyin Form," Sora replied immediately.

"Shuyin?" Riku cocked an eyebrow.

"It's the Wielder's name," Sora explained, going on to repeat everything that Shuyin had told him. When he was finished, he asked, "Did you get all that, Jiminy?"

"I think so."

"Using other Wielders to fight us?" Naminé quailed. "This is bigger than we realized."

Sora nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "That's why I think we should...split up."

"My thoughts, exactly," Mickey agreed. "_All_ the realms are at stake here, not just one. Sora and Kairi should stay in the Light Realm, of course. Riku can take the Twilight Realm, along with Roxas and Naminé since they have experience there. That leaves me, Donald, and Goofy to tackle the Dark Realm. Agreed?" Everyone nodded.

"But how will we contact each other?" asked Kairi.

"That's easy," drawled Shinra. "Just use my newly developed combination computer-Commsphere." He handed one each to Sora, Riku and Mickey. They all eyed them in confusion.

Paine snorted, "I don't think they've ever seen anything so complicated."

"What they need are recorders," Yuna said slyly.

"Yeah!" yelled Rikku. "I'm totally in."

"What?" Sora scratched his head in confusion.

"We're coming with you," Yuna grinned. "We can keep a common journal for you on the Commspheres and record everything that happens."

"What about me?" Jiminy frowned.

"You can be...the editor, or something."

"I guess... So who's going with whom?"

"I call Sora!" Yuna shouted.

"I call tall, silver, and single!" giggled Rikku.

Paine's face soured. "Just call me Miss MacDonald."

"It's settled then," Mickey said with a nod. "Good luck, y'all!" He took out his Keyblade and conjured a portal of darkness, a recently acquired trick. The three Disney Castle inhabitants and Paine entered before the portal vanished.

Shinra emerged from Sora's pocket. "I must be off now as well, unfortunately. Thank you, kindly, for allowing me to 'examine your zippers.'" He chuckled, proud of his rather lame joke. "Take this as a token of my gratitude."

He dropped a small vial, similar to a Potion, into Sora's hand. "What's this?" Sora asked.

"It's an Antidote. Cures any poison."

Sora grimaced, "Let's hope I don't have to use it."

Looking into his heart, Sora found another world that cried out to him. He created a door, faster this time, and was about to step through with Kairi and Yuna when he turned back. "Cid should have a Gummi Ship for you, if you need it. See you later, then." They vanished as well, leaving the twilight group alone.

Suddenly, Roxas sniggered. He turned to Riku and Rikku, smirking. "Did you know you're both 'Riku?'"

Rikku's arms drooped. "The single guy has the same name as me? Oh, poopie!"

* * *

**A/N: **Check it out! A new feature! For more info on it, go back to Chapter 2. 

**New Characters:**

Shuyin: Final Fantasy X-2  
Yuna: Final Fantasy X  
Rikku: Final Fantasy X  
Paine: Final Fantasy X-2  
Shinra: Final Fantasy X-2


	10. Chasing Destiny

Chapter 10: Chasing Destiny

Sora and Kairi found themselves in a port that Sora immediately recognized as Port Royal. Rain poured from the heavens, drenching what appeared to be a ruined wedding ceremony.

Sure enough, the soaked bride stood hunched over the altar, watching men in bright, red uniforms search the town. Something about the bride seemed familiar to Sora.

"I almost got married, once," Yuna said conversationally.

"Elizabeth!" Sora shouted, ignoring Yuna and running forward.

Elizabeth turned toward him, her downcast face raising hopefully. "Sora, please, you…Will!"

The men in red coats had approached, bringing Will, bound in chains. Yuna wagged a finger at them.

"Yuna, stay out of this," Sora said sharply. She huffed, but retreated to one of Sora's pockets.

"Why is this happening?" Elizabeth breathed.

"That's what I'd like to know," said Sora, pushing through the soldiers with Kairi. Will barely registered them.

"You look beautiful," he told Elizabeth.

She chuckled bitterly. "Isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?"

A man, obviously the commander, turned to face them.

"Cutler Beckett?" gasped Elizabeth.

"It's Lord now, actually," Beckett replied smugly.

"Lord or not, you have no reason and no authority to arrest Will," Elizabeth retorted.

"In fact, I do." Beckett pulled out a piece of paper and read, "The warrant for the arrest of one William Turner."

He passed the paper to the person nearest him; Kairi. Nervously, she scanned the page. "This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann," Kairi said, confused.

"Oh, is it? That's annoying. My mistake. Arrest her," said Beckett unconcernedly.

Several men grabbed her and she screeched, "On what charges?"

Ignoring her, Beckett pulled out another piece of paper and handed it to Kairi. "Aha. Here's the one for William Turner. …And I have another one for a Mr. James Norrington."

Elizabeth pierced him with a withering stare. "Commodore Norrington resigned his commission some months ago. Now what are the charges?"

Again ignoring her, Norrington pulled out a fourth sheet of paper. "And a final one for a Sora…ah well, just Sora, then. Arrest him, too."

Two men grabbed Sora, as well, who didn't want to make the situation worse by resisting. Neither did Kairi or Yuna, thankfully.

Beckett surveyed Sora with a satisfied air. "That's what you get for meddling in others' business."

Any retorts Sora had died in his throat. Beckett couldn't know about him, could he?

"Elizabeth and I are under the jurisdiction of the king's governor of Port Royal," began Will tersely, "so we have the right to know what we are charged with. But Sora isn't. You have no authority over him. Let him go."

"Normally, I would agree," Beckett replied, "but he committed the crime in my jurisdiction and therefore submitted himself to it."

Sora scowled, "And the crime…?"

Kairi glanced down at the warrants in her hands. "The charge for all of you is 'conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the Crown and Empire and condemned to death, for which the…" Her voice broke and she couldn't continue.

Beckett finished for her, "For which the punishment, regrettably, is also death."

"Sora!" Kairi cried, burying her head in Sora's chest. Other men tried to pry her away, but she fought them off and clung to Sora more tightly.

"Oh dear," Beckett leered. "We can't have you setting Sora free, not when _he's_ condemned to death. Arrest her, as well."

More men came to try and remove Kairi. "Kairi, let go," Sora murmured. "Don't make this worse."

With a last dry sob, she submitted.

Stepping forward, Beckett said, "Perhaps you remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow."

"Captain!" Will, Elizabeth, and Sora spat.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth corrected.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Beckett repeated scornfully, finally showing emotion amidst his militaristic indifference. "Yes, I thought you might." He jerked his head toward town. "Take them away."

They were taken to the jail and thrown into separate cells for the night. As soon as the last footsteps faded, Sora jumped up, summoning his Keyblade.

"Hmph. Did he actually think he could stop me?" Sora muttered to himself. He unlocked his door and stepped out, watching Kairi do the same.

"We can't just _leave_, Sora," said Will.

"Why not?" asked Sora, perplexed.

"Where could we go with outstanding warrants over our heads?"

"Then what do you suggest?"

Will replied slowly, as if still thinking his words over, "Beckett wants something. I'll bet he's lording these warrants over our heads to get us to cooperate."

"I hope you're right," Sora sighed as he and Kairi returned to their cells.

Sure enough, in the morning, Will and Sora were taken to Lord Beckett's office.

"Make sure you record this," Sora muttered to Yuna. He could hear her starting up the Commsphere. "And don't let them see you!"

When they arrived, Beckett had their chains removed and began pouring drinks. Sora was sorely tempted by the amber liquid, but as Will wasn't taking the proffered glass, Sora abstained with a sigh.

"The East India Trading Company has need of your services. We wish for you two to act as our agents in a business transaction with our mutual friend Captain Sparrow."

Sora shared a look with Will. "What kind of transaction?"

"I want you to bargain with Sparrow," said Beckett. He moved to a wooden chest and pulled out yet more papers. "Letters of marque. Jack will be free, a privateer in the employ of England."

Sora snorted at this and Will voiced what he was thinking. "Somehow I doubt Jack will consider employment the same as being free."

"Jack Sparrow is a dying breed," Beckett scoffed. "He must find his place in the New World or perish. Not unlike you, Mr. Turner. You and your fiancེe face the hangman's noose, not to mention your friend here and his girlfriend."

Scowling, Sora asked, "And what do you want of Jack's?"

"The item in question is considerably smaller and far more valuable, something Sparrow keeps on his person at all times. A compass?" Some recognition must have shown in their faces, because Beckett continued, "Ah, you know it."

Of course they knew it. With the light show it had put on with the Keyblade, no one was likely to forget it.

"Bring it to me and the four of you will get full pardons."

They returned to the jail to tell Elizabeth and Kairi of Beckett's proposition.

"Jack's compass?" Elizabeth wondered. "What does Beckett want with that?"

"Does it matter?" Will returned. "We're to find Jack and convince him to return to Port Royal. In exchange, the charges against all of us will be dropped."

Kairi pressed herself against the bars of her cell, as if trying to pass through the bars into Sora's arms. "Will this Jack agree?"

"I doubt it," Sora sighed. "But we have to try. I have one other thing to bargain with and, if all else fails, we can always force him.

"Yuna?"

Reluctantly, Yuna poked her head out. "Yes?"

"Please stay with Kairi…and try to stay out of sight."

"Girl time!" Yuna squealed eagerly.

Sora took Kairi's hand in his. "Meet up with us as soon as you can. …Where are we going?" he called over to Will.

"Tortuga," Will replied. "We'll start there and we won't stop searching till we find him."

"Right." Sora nodded.

Will turned to Elizabeth. "And then I intend to return here to marry you."

"Properly?" chuckled Elizabeth.

"Eagerly, if you'll still have me."

"If it weren't for these bars, I'd have you already."

In her eagerness for girl time, Yuna knocked over a candle holder. Elizabeth and Will started at the noise, and Will seemed to realize how long they were taking. He left quickly, as if his resolve would break otherwise. Sora whispered, "Remember, out hearts are always together," and followed Will.

* * *

Everyone could tell them about Jack in Tortuga, though none knew his location. They _wished _they knew, as pretty much everyone had a bone to pick with him. Two prostitutes left Will and Sora messages for Jack; a couple of slaps across the face. 

Finally, a dark-skinned man with ratty dreadlocks told them of an island just south of the straits where they could find a ship. A ship with black sails.

The man agreed to give them a lift; he was going there to trade for some delicious long pork, anyway.

Sora heard a soft moan in his ear. Gently, he reached up a hand and cradled Jiminy, who was looking rather seasick.

"Are you alright?" Sora asked, peering concernedly at the cricket.

"I'll be, urp, fine. Don't worry, urg, about me, ugh."

"Here," said Will, procuring a flask, "a little rum will help with that."

Jiminy took a small swig and sighed happily. "Say! That's _much_ better. Thanks!"

"Don't mention it," Will muttered. "Just don't drink too much, or you'll be back where you started." He leaned against the railing, staring vacantly at the horizon, and Sora found himself doing the same thing.

"Would you really give your Keyblade to Jack, even if he could wield it?"

Sora mulled the question over, trying to find the right words. "Not _my_ Keyblade, exactly." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the _Follow the Wind _keychain. "This. Jack gave it to me last time and I'm hoping he might be able to use it. And, anyway…I would do anything for Kairi."

Will smiled at Sora, something Sora had rarely seen and cherished all the more for it. "I always wondered whether you had a special girl. You always watched Elizabeth and me with a dreamy, longing look…. Is she your girlfriend?"

"No," Sora pondered, "'girlfriend' isn't a good word. It's too shallow."

"Your lover?"

Sora flushed and stammered, "That's too strong. We're still kids, you know."

Laughing, Will asked, "What is she then?"

"She's my…," he faltered. What _was_ she? He couldn't think of any word to describe her but, "Princess."

"How old are you again?"

"Fifteen."

Will studied Sora carefully for a moment. "It seems there is more to you than meets the eye."

"You don't know the half of it," Sora sighed.

Shortly, they approached a small island with the _Black Pearl_ beached on shore. The ship captain's brother, unfortunately speaking only French, rowed them as close to shore as possible and they swam the rest of the way.

There was the _Pearl_, abandoned and moored on the beach. Disheartened, they headed into the jungle, where a brightly colored parrot fluttered down to them.

"Ah. A familiar face," breathed Will.

"Familiar?" asked Sora, completely thrown for a loop.

"This is John Cotton's parrot. Cotton's a member of the _Pearl's_ crew. His tongue was cut out so he trained the bird to talk for him."

"Don't eat me," Cotton's parrot squawked.

Will frowned. "We're not going to eat you."

"Don't eat me," it repeated.

"Come on." Will hurried off into the woods.

They soon came upon a flask dangling from a small plant.

"Gibbs," said Will. He examined it and found a long string leading off the path they were traveling. "I'll follow this. You stay on the path."

Sora did as he was told, though uneasily. The path didn't seem to be leading anywhere and nothing more interesting than Gibbs's flask popped up.

"Come on! Let's go!" Sora heard Will shout a moment later. It sounded like he had a head cold or was hanging upside down. Sora immediately headed in the direction of Will's voice.

"Come on! Who wants it?"

As he drew closer, Sora could pick out metallic clings that surely meant Will was in a scrape.

"I can do this all day!"

Then everything fell abruptly quiet.

Starting to panic, Sora picked up speed and burst into a clearing that showed signs of a recent struggle. Will's sword lay in the middle. Picking it up and stowing it, Sora set about tracking whoever had dragged Will off.

* * *

Kairi peered anxiously out of the window in her cell. 

"Do you think the coast is clear?" she asked.

"Even if it is, we'll be stuck unless a ship is at the dock ready to sail."

Checking the dock one last time, Kairi began pacing the cell. She knew Sora would be fine and would come back for her, eventually. It was Will and Elizabeth she was worried about. They didn't have the luxury of only being guests of this world and would have to deal with this mess for years to come.

"Don't worry, Sora will be fine," Elizabeth reassured her, misreading Kairi's fretting. "You know, you're lucky to have each other."

"Yeah," Yuna interjected. "At least you know where Sora is. Not _where _where, but a general where."

Smiling at them, Kairi didn't bother to explain herself. They could believe they were helping her if it made them feel better, which it did,

"I'm sorry about your wedding, Elizabeth," Kairi murmured.

Elizabeth took a deep breath, but otherwise displayed no emotion. "There will be other chances. Why don't you tell me about you and Sora?"

"Like what?" Kairi asked, flushing.

"You're obviously very precious to him. What is he to you?"

"He's…," she began, but stopped. Her mind couldn't find a single term to describe Sora except: "my Prince."

They lapsed into silence, not an uncomfortable silence, but not comfortable, either. It just was, and Kairi didn't like it.

"Do you know anything about swordplay?" Kairi asked abruptly.

"Will's been teaching me," replied Elizabeth. "Why do you ask?"

"Sora and Riku have been _trying_ to give me lessons, but they haven't been going well, and I thought I might learn better from a woman."

"Alright, we'll spar. Nothing better to do."

They found Elizabeth a broken broom handle and sparred for several hours, returning to and relocking their cells if they thought someone was coming. Sometime after sunset, Kairi looked again out the window and broke into a grin.

"A ship is about ready to sail," she said excitedly.

Elizabeth's face set itself in a determined expression. "We have one thing to take care of before we leave."

* * *

"No doubt you've discovered that loyalty is no longer the currency of the realm," said Beckett. 

Kairi and Elizabeth moved out of the velvet shadows of Beckett's office.

"Then what is?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm afraid currency is the currency of the realm," Beckett said with a slightly mocking tone.

Elizabeth began walking forward, Kairi trailing behind. "I expect, then, we can come to some sort of understanding. We're here to negotiate."

Kairi knew, as soon as she stepped foot in Port Royal, that this world was darker than the other worlds Sora had told her about. Nevertheless, she was uneasy with what they were about to do.

"I'm listening," Beckett replied. Elizabeth pointed a gun at Beckett's head and Kairi summoned Radiating Garden within his line of sight. "I'm listening intently," he amended.

"These letters of marque" – Kairi held them up – "they are signed by the king."

"Yes and they're not valid until they bear my signature and my seal."

"Or else we would not still be here." Elizabeth lowered the gun. "You sent Will to get you the compass owned by Jack Sparrow. It will do you no good. I have been to the Isla de Muerta. I have seen the treasure myself. There is something you need to know."

"Ah, I see," breathed Beckett. "You think the compass leads only to the Isla de Muerta. Don't worry, I care not for cursed Aztec gold. There's more than one chest of value in these waters."

Kairi was thoroughly confused now. Later, she would have to ask Elizabeth about it.

Continuing, Beckett said, "So perhaps you may wish to enhance your offer."

Elizabeth cocked her gun and placed it under his chin. "Consider into your calculations that you robbed me of my wedding night." She thrust the papers at him.

"So I did." Beginning to sign, he muttered, "A marriage interrupted…or fate intervenes?"

As they made their way out, Beckett called after them, "To ensure your freedom, I'll still want that compass. Consider that in your calculations."

* * *

Sora followed the trail with difficulty. Will must have been captured by natives for the trail to be so faint. After an hour or so of walking, he came to two large cliffs with a bridge connecting them. Strung between them were two cages…_swinging back and forth?_

He watched as, first one, then the other, grabbed a hold of the vines on the cliff. Slowly, they began to climb. With a jolt, he saw that Will was in one.

"Come on, men!" Will shouted. "It'll take all of us to crew the _Black Pearl_!"

"Actually, you wouldn't need everyone," answered a man from the other cage. "About six would do."

Both cages paused in their assents, then began again with renewed fervor. Sora paced above, wondering what to do. He wanted to help Will, but he couldn't just send six men to their deaths.

Suddenly, both cages froze and Sora saw what could only be a native on the bridge. Finally, something for him to do!

Sora sprinted along the bridge. The native managed to utter one strangled yell before Sora knocked him off the bridge. Immediately feeling very unclean because of his actions, Sora pushed his guilt aside.

"Snake!" Sora heard, and watched as a cage – thankfully, a Will-less one – plummeted to the bottom. Will's cage was almost at the top and Sora helped drag them the rest of the way up.

Looking over his shoulder, Sora saw natives swarming them. "Hold on!" he cried, cutting the cage loose and rolling it like a ball.

Too late, Sora realized he'd pushed it over a hill. The cage rolled away from him and Sora had to half-run, half-tumble after it. A short way ahead, the cage rolled up a tree and crashed to the ground. The men picked it up like a lady's skirt and began running, Sora on their tails, the natives on his.

The cage suddenly dropped out of view and Sora didn't realize what had happened until he, too, had run off the cliff. They plummeted painfully down into a river between cliff faces, the cage breaking open in the process. Frantically, they swam away from the natives, dodging spears in the process.

"Where's Jack?" Sora asked once they were out of harm's way on the beach.

"The Pelegostos made him their chief," Will explained. "They also think he's a god in human form and want to…'free him from his fleshy prison.'"

As the _Pearl_ came into view, they saw that two pirates – Ragetti with his wooden eye and his partner, Pintel – had already gotten the _Pearl_ nearly in the water. "Make ready to sail, boys!" yelled a third pirate.

"What about Jack?" Sora asked persistently. Someone down the beach shouted and they turned to see Jack running toward them, followed by a hoard of Pelegostos.

"Time to go," said Will. The ship had started sailing by the time Jack reached it. He managed to grab some rigging on the side of the ship.

"Alas, my children, this is the day you shall always remember as the day you almost" – a wave crashed over Jack – "Captain Jack Sparrow." He clambered aboard, sopping wet.

"Jack," said Will, coming forward, "Elizabeth is in danger."

"And Kairi, too," added Sora.

Delight spread across Jack's face as he saw Sora. "Ah, the mighty Sora has a bonnie lass he'd do anything for, too, eh?"

"They're locked up in a prison, bound to hand, Elizabeth for helping you, Kairi for trying to help Sora who was arrested for helping you," Will told Jack angrily.

Jack walked away from them, toward the helm. "There comes a time when one must take responsibility for one's mistakes."

Grabbing his sword out of Sora's belt, Will placed it against Jack's neck. "We need that compass of yours, Jack. We must trade it for their freedom."

"Mr. Gibbs," said Jack, ignoring the sword. "We have a need to travel upriver."

"What we need to do is make sail for Port Royal with all haste," Will spat. Sora emphasized the point by summoning his Keyblade and pointing it at Jack.

"William, Sora," began Jack, "I shall trade you the compass if you will help me to find this." He pulled out a cloth with a picture of a key on it.

"A key?" Sora deadpanned. He waved his Keyblade in Jack's face.

"Don't know much in the way of strategy, do you?" Jack taunted. "If I have this, then no one else has it and no one else can use it. Furthermore, in the unfortunate and likely event that you are not around when I have need of that key, I will have a backup."

"So," said Will tersely, "you want us to find this."

"No," Jack replied. "You want you to find this, because the finding of this finds you incapacitorially finding and/or locating in your discovering a way to save your dolly belles, ol' what's-her-face and what's-her-face the second. Savvy?"

"No," Sora said, blinking irritably. He could feel a horrible headache coming on.

Will tried to sum it up. He grabbed the cloth, asking, "This is going to save Elizabeth and Kairi?"

Shifting his feet, Jack asked, "How much do you know about Davy Jones?"

"Who?" Sora's head gave an unpleasant throb.

"Not much," replied Will.

"Yeah, it's going to save Elizabeth and Kairi."

* * *

Kairi and Elizabeth stowed away on the ship, disguised as crew members. Kairi had chosen to wear her normal clothes underneath, while Elizabeth discarded her dress. 

Unfortunately, a crewman found her dress and two men began arguing over it so fiercely that the captain had to end it.

"What's all this?" the captain bellowed. "If you both fancy the dress, you'll just have to share and wear it one after the other." An appreciative chuckle went around the crew.

"It's not like that, sir," the younger of the contestants hastened to explain. "This ship is haunted."

The captain gazed at him skeptically. "Is it now? And you?" he addressed the older man.

"There's a female presence amongst us here, sir," the older man tried. "All the men, they can feel it."

Another crew member pushed through to speak. "It's the ghost of a lady widowed before her marriage, I figure it, searching for her husband, lost at sea."

"A virgin, too, likely as not," said the older man. "And that bodes ill by all accounts."

Kairi and Elizabeth glanced up from where they were inconspicuously varnishing the railings.

The young man snatched the dress. "I say we throw the dress overboard and we hope the spirit follows it."

"No!" cried another crewman. "That will just anger the spirit, sir. What we need to do is find out what the spirit needs, and then get it back to her."

Sharing a glance, Kairi and Elizabeth had to stifle giggles and even Yuna couldn't help making a smart comment. Highly amusing as it was, though, it could also work to their advantage.

Another quarrel broke out and only stopped when the captain shouted, "Enough! Enough!"

He continued as the noise died, "You're a pair of superstitious goats and it's got the best of you." He grabbed the dress from them. "Now, this appears to be no more as we have a stowaway on board." Kairi and Elizabeth tensed, but didn't look at each other this time. "A young woman, by the look of it. I want you to search the ship and find her. "Oh, and, er…she's probably naked."

All the men suddenly became frenzied and set about searching the ship at once. To keep up appearances, Kairi and Elizabeth "eagerly" joined in.

* * *

"Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?" asked Will as the _Pearl's _crew paddled up a jungle river. 

"Well, if you believe such things," answered a man named Gibbs, "there's a beast does the bidding of Davy Jones – a fearsome creature with giant tentacles that'll suction your face clean off and drag an entire ship down to the crushing darkness." He paused dramatically and Sora had to sigh in amusement. "The kraken."

Everyone in the boat looked toward Gibbs, unease flitting across their faces. But Gibbs's story wasn't over. "They say the stench of its breath is like…" -- he shuddered just imagining it. "Imagine, the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the kraken and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses. …If you believe such things."

"Which Jack does," muttered Sora, more to himself than anyone else.

"And the key will spare him that?" Will asked.

"Well, that's the very question Jack wants answered," said Gibbs. "Bad enough even to go visit…_her_."

A small, riverside cabin finally came into view and Jack drew the canoes up to a small dock.

"No worries, mates," Jack said, more to convince himself than the men. "Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable, we are. Were. Have been. Before."

"I'll watch your back," assured Gibbs.

"It's me front I'm worried about."

"Mind the boat," Gibbs told Will.

"Mind the boat," Will told Sora.

"Mind the boat," Sora told Ragetti.

"Mind the boat," Ragetti told Pintel.

"Mind the boat," Pintel told Cotton's parrot.

"Mind the boat," Cotton's parrot told Cotton. Poor Cotton, with no one to relay the message to and no tongue to relay the message with, was doubly stuck minding the boat.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Sora," Jiminy whispered into Sora's ear as they climbed onto the porch.

Sora bit his lip. "Me, too. But…I have to save Kairi." No more needed to be said on the matter.

Jack slowly crept into the hut, where a decrepit woman sat. She had ratty, black hair and dark skin with several strange markings. Upon seeing Jack, the woman bared her scurvy-ridden teeth in a smile.

"Jack Sparrow," she purred.

"Tia Dalma," he said, adopting his usual swagger once more.

"I always knew the wind was going to blow you back to me one day," Tia crooned with a heavy Caribbean accent. She approached Jack, but stopped as she saw Will enter.

"You…," she said, suddenly serious, drawing Will into the room. "You have a touch of…destiny about you, William Turner."

Will's forehead furrowed. "You know me?"

Tia moved closer to Will, holding his eyes with hers in a flirtatious way. "You want to know me."

Something about Tia didn't sit right with Sora, even without his feeling of unease. He had been content to wait outside with Jiminy taking notes on his shoulder, but this was going too far. Intending to get between the two, Sora hurried forward, barely giving Jiminy a chance to get a handhold. His foot had barely passed the threshold, though, when Tia gasped as if struck by a heavenly revelation.

"You!" she choked, her hand clutching her heaving chest. "Destiny not so much touches as chases you." Her bulging eyes became mysterious once more. "Or perhaps _you_ chase _it_, Sora of _Destiny_ Islands."

Sora glared at her icily, not at all pleased that Tia knew so much. "Maybe we're both just chasing each other in endless circles," he replied with frosty sarcasm.

"Do not joke of such things, child," said Tia, with dire undertones. "The impossible tends to happen around you." Her lips pursed in a thoughtful frown. "I wonder…"

Without warning, Tia snatched up Sora's right hand in hers and stretched it between them. With her left hand, she ran a finger down his arm. Her touch caused his whole body to tense like it did when enemies appeared and his Keyblade flashed into existence in response.

"The Master of Light," she breathed, sinking into a bow. Sora dismissed his Keyblade, trying to quell this disastrous situation. Somehow, Sora thought he was dangerously toeing the line between helping and meddling.

"Please, get up," he begged. "I don't want this."

"Of course you don't," she said, getting up nevertheless. "The Masters of Light are always humble, which is precisely why you _need_ it." Finally leaving Sora, she looked away and sighed, "So the war is starting again…"

"War?" Sora asked, curious despite himself.

Tia looked back at him, smiling once again. "Now, child, we've pushed the world order far enough." She turned toward Jack again. "Payment before help."

"I brought payment," he said, whistling. A cage was brought in with a monkey inside. "Look." Smiling broadly, Jack took out his gun and shot the poor animal. "An undead monkey. Top that."

"The payment is fair," she said.

Will took out the cloth with the picture of the key on it and laid it on the table. "We're looking for this." Tia looked sharply at it. "And what it goes to."

"Why do you need the key when you have the boy?" she asked slowly, nodding at Sora.

"Insurance," Jack said simply.

"I should have known," she said in amusement. "Jack Sparrow does not even trust _the_ Keyblade Wielder." Her gaze turned to Sora. "Lucky for you. It would not have been good if you had _meddled_ in these affairs."

Sora glared at her, determined not to let the taunt get to him…or, not show that it had. Tia Dalma was starting to get deep under his skin.

"The next question is: Why does Jack need _my_ help when he has my compass?" Tia went on. Jack squirmed at this, which delighted Tia to no end. "Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants. Or do you know, but are loath to claim it as your own?

"Your key go to a chest," – Sora snorted; he could have figured that out – "And it is what lay inside the chest you seek, don't it?"

"What _is_ inside?" Gibbs asked eagerly.

"Gold?" guessed Pintel hopefully. "Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?"

"Nothing bad, I hope?" Ragetti murmured.

Tia leaned forward in her chair. "You know of Davy Jones, yes?" After Gibbs's tale, who didn't? Tales of Davy Jones and his locker were swapped between sailors even on Destiny Islands. More proof that Sora had yet to repair the damaged world borders.

"A man of the sea," she continued. "A great sailor, until he ran afoul of that which vex all men."

"What vexes all men?" asked Will curiously.

"The sea," said Gibbs, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Sums," Pintel said with a shudder.

"The dichotomy of good and evil," offered Ragetti. This last one seemed the closest, Sora thought. It sure vexed him. Not every man was vexed by it, though.

What vexed Sora? What made him worry to no end? What could annoy him to no end? What could drive his temper up like nothing else? What indeed?

"A woman," Sora and Jack said together.

"A woman," confirmed Tia. "He fell in love with a woman as changing and harsh and untamable as the sea. Him never stopped loving her. But the pain it cause him was too much to live with but not enough to cause him to die."

Sora suddenly felt a stab of pity for Davy Jones. He'd felt similarly when Kairi had been kidnapped because of him. The guilt still ate at him somewhat.

Will moved impatiently. "What exactly did he put into the chest?"

"Him heart," Tia replied and Sora balked. That was a bit extreme. "It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings." Here, Sora had to disagree with Jones. "And so…him carve out him heart, lock it away in a chest and hide the chest from the world. The key he keep with him at all times."

"So," said Jack, trying to edge away from Sora and Will, who had risen angrily, "all that's left is to climb aboard the _Flying Dutchman_, grab the key, you two go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lasses, eh?"

"Let me see your hand," Tia demanded, rising. Reluctantly, Jack held out a bandaged hand. Tia gently removed the cloth…

"The black spot!" Gibbs gasped.

Tia wandered farther back in the hut. "I have just the thing. Now, where did I put it?" She clattered about for a moment, then returned, carrying what looked to be a glass container of sand. "Davy Jones cannot step on land but once every ten years. And so, you will carry land with you." She handed it to Jack.

"Is the jar of dirt going to help?" Jack asked uncertainly.

Piercing Jack with a disdainful stare, Tia snapped, "If you don't want it, give it back."

Jack hugged the jar tighter. "No."

"Then it helps," Tia smiled gently.

"It seems," began Will, "we have a need to find the _Flying Dutchman_." As much as Sora didn't want to admit it, Will was right. Suddenly, Sora didn't feel like cooperating with destiny.

Tia sat down and swept up several objects on the table. "A touch of destiny," Tia breathed, throwing the objects down. They settled over some navigational pictures, forming a map to the _Dutchman_.

* * *

**New Characters:**

Elizabeth Swann: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)  
Will Turner: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)  
Lord Cutler Beckett: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)  
John Cotton's parrot: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)  
Ragetti: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)  
Pintel: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)  
Joshamee Gibbs: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)  
John Cotton: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)  
Tia Dalma: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)


	11. A Pirate's Life

Chapter 11: A Pirate's Life

The _Pearl_ sailed to the location Tia had indicated in the midst of a watery gale. Soon all of the men were soaked through, though no amount of rain could bring down Sora's gravity-defying hair.

"I wish I knew how he does it," muttered a saturated Jack, glaring jealously at Sora.

Amidst the sheets of water, a ship could be seen, cleaved in half.

"That's the _Flying Dutchman_?" shouted Will over the rain, skepticism etching his face. Sora looked at the sad wreck of a vessel dubiously and privately agreed with Will's disbelief. Gibbs nodded feebly at the query.

"She doesn't look like much," stated Sora, with Will nodding in agreement.

"Neither do you two," Jack pointed out, a very fair point, indeed. "Do not underestimate her. So, what's your plan, then?"

"We row over, search the ship until we find your bloody key," Will said irritably.

Jack grimaced. "And if there are crewmen?"

"I cut down anyone in my path," Will replied. He glanced at Sora, who hooked his hands behind his head. "Sounds good to me," said Sora.

"I like it," mused Jack. "Simple, easy to remember."

Will and Sora descended to the longboat, with jeers from Ragetti. As they were just about to shove off, Jack hailed them.

"If you do happen to get captured, just say Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt," he called. "It might save your life."

They pushed off into the storm and Sora thought he heard something like, "Douse the lamps." But the rain soon washed out everything but the ship wreck.

The boat slowly crept forward until, at last, it bumped against the ship. It was even eerier up close. Sora became nauseous as he saw bodies tangled in rigging and floating in the water.

There was one man, at least, still alive. He was feverishly pulling at a rope, muttering about jibs and Captain's orders.

Will looked at the man pityingly. "There's no use. You've run aground."

"No," cried the man, his eyes bulging. "Beneath us. Foul breath."

Something crashed down from the rigging; a body. Sora went to it and turned it over, only to see that the face had been suctioned off.

Suddenly, another ship burst out of the water next to them, covered in coral and barnacles. Men, similarly coral- and barnacle-covered, oozed from the wood of the shipwreck and, to Sora's horror, a new type of Halfhearted climbed out of the water.

They were the same color as Golems, but had a more defined form. Coming up to Sora's hips, these Halfhearted looked like humans with extra-long fingers and ropey dreadlocks. One whipped those thin tentacles at Sora, leaving nasty welts.

Another had grabbed Will's ankle. He sliced the tentacle, which immediately lost form and oozed around Will's leg like the Golems did. The Medusa – that's what Sora decided to call it – meanwhile, had regrown the tentacle.

"Hold still!" cried Sora, casting Blizzaga on Will's feet. Will stuck his sword in the tentacle-turned-Golem and a grimly satisfied smile formed on his face as it shattered.

"What are they?" Will gaped.

"The black ones are Halfhearted. I don't know about the sea creatures," Sora said.

Sora decided that the immediate threat was the Medusas. He froze them and Will shattered them, all the while dodging sword swings from the sea creatures. Strangely enough, the Medusas and sea creatures fought each other, creating a three-sided battle. So Davy Jones and Astan weren't too chummy, a small consolation for Sora.

Struck with sudden inspiration, Will dipped his sword in an oil barrel and smashed it against a lantern, instantly igniting it. This made quick work of whatever it touched.

Now Sora and Will were back to back, Will still swinging his fiery sword. Since they were surrounded, though, Will didn't see the arm that smashed into his head, knocking him cold. Neither did Sora.

* * *

When Sora woke up, his head pounding furiously, the Halfhearted were gone, but more sea creatures had come. He was kneeling at the end of a line of men, the survivors of the wreck. Will was next to him, looking groggy but wary. A slight look of relief passed over his face when he saw that Sora was awake, but it became fearful once more as they heard thumping.

A man with a barnacled hat and cloak came aboard. He had tentacles instead of hair and one of his hands had been turned into a crab claw. The thumping had come from his peg leg. All the sea creatures parted for him respectfully. This, Sora realized, could only be Davy Jones and the sea creatures his crew.

"Six men still alive. The rest have moved on," reported a hammerhead shark-man.

Jones stumped up to one of the survivors, who whimpered loudly. "Do you fear death?" Jones asked. The man began nodding vigorously. "Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare. All your sins punished." Jones snorted. "I can offer you an escape."

"Don't listen to him!" cried another man down the line. Jones glanced sharply at the man and the rosary clutched in his hand. The crab claw snaked out and grabbed the man's throat. Sora moved to help, but Will touched him in warning and Sora reluctantly became still.

"Do you not fear death?" said Jones, amusement on his face.

The man stared at him defiantly. "I'll take my chances, sir."

"To the depths," Jones commanded. A crewman, baring the man's throat, put a knife up to it and Sora shut his eyes tight. This didn't block out the man's last, wet choke or the splash as his body was thrown overboard, unfortunately.

"Cruel blackguard!" spat another man.

"Life is cruel," growled Jones. "Why should the afterlife be any different? I offer you a choice. Join my crew and postpone the judgment. One hundred years before the mast. Will ye serve?"

Sora could not believe that anyone would be tempted by the offer, but the first man that Jones had addressed stammered, "I-I will serve."

With a satisfied noise, Jones began moving down the line, until he got to Will. Jones did a double take and examined Will. "You are neither dead nor dying."

Sora wriggled uncomfortably and instantly regretted it. The movement brought to attention what the night had hidden from Jones; Sora's outlandish appearance compared to the other inhabitants of this world. Jones's eyes flickered from Will to Sora, growing more and more suspicious.

His claw shot forward again, this time at Sora. Already tense and half expecting this, Sora summoned his Keyblade in front of him and the claw closed around it instead of Sora's neck.

Momentary surprise flitted across Jones's face, but he quickly recovered. "A Wielder," he said with contempt. "No, _the_ Wielder…. I WILL NOT HAVE IT!" he roared. The claw tightened its grip on the Keyblade and Sora copied it. A big mistake. With surprising strength, Jones used their grips to throw Sora sideways into a broken mast. White stars burst across his vision.

"I will not have you meddling in my affairs," Jones said quietly, advancing on Sora. The whisper sounded more dangerous than the shouting. Blearily, Sora saw Will torn between helping Sora and keeping his head down. Sora shook his head ever so slightly, telling Will not to do anything. It was still possible that Will would be spared, but not if he openly consorted with the Keyblade Master.

Jones kicked Sora and he rolled into the water covering the severed midsection of the ship. "You may find my practices despicable, but they are perfectly within the world border and you don't have the right to meddle in them. Likewise, _I _cannot kill _you_. But, I don't have to tolerate your presence, not when I have your friend here to interrogate. So, I bid you good riddance, oh bright and shiny Master of Light."

He clicked his claw and it echoed ominously in the night. A giant tentacle burst from the water and grabbed Sora around the waist. Before he could retaliate, it had flung him across the ocean and he landed with a splash a little way off from the _Pearl. _He swam closer and had started climbing up the side when he heard Jones's voice on the deck.

"You have a debt to pay. You've been captain of the _Black Pearl_ for thirteen years. That was our agreement."

Now Sora heard Jack's voice, trying to smooth talk his way out as always. "Technically I was only captain for two years; then I was viciously mutinied upon."

"Then you were a poor captain, but a captain nonetheless. Have you not introduced yourself all these years as Captain Jack Sparrow?" More thumping.

"You have my payment. Not one, but two souls to serve on your ship. They're already over there." Sora nearly lost his grip and he could hear his heart pounding angrily in his ears. So, Jack meant to sacrifice them, did he? Not if Sora could help it.

Jones laughed. "I couldn't touch the Wielder, even if the worlds allowed it. His heart is too strong for _any _power to hold. Besides, he's probably out to sea by now. As for the other one, one soul is not equal to another." Sora sagged in relief. So there was hope yet.

"Aha!" Jack exclaimed and began talking more quickly. "We've established my proposal is sound in principle. Now we're just haggling over price." Sora couldn't believe his ears!

"Price?"

"Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?"

A pause. Jones must have been pondering the offer. "One hundred souls. Three days." No. Sora couldn't let this happen.

"You're a diamond, mate. Send me back the boy. I'll get started right off." Was Jack trying to save Will, even after sacrificing him in the first place? Yes, but at the expense of one hundred others.

"I keep the boy. A good-faith payment." Sora's heart sank. "That leaves you only 99 more to go."

"Have you not met Will Turner? He's noble, heroic, a terrific soprano. Worth at least four. Maybe three and a half." The greedy scumbag. "And did I happen to mention…he's in love? With a girl. Due to be married. Betrothed. Dividing him from her and her from him would only be half as cruel as actually allowing them to be joined in holy matrimony. Eh?"

Now this was just ridiculous. Who would believe that? Apparently Davy Jones, who paused as if considering the prospect. "I keep the boy. Ninety-nine souls. But I wonder, Sparrow, can you live with this?"

"Yep. I'm good with it." Jack said this so brightly that Sora wondered if Jack still had a plan up his sleeves. "Shall we seal it in blood? I mean…ink." Jack gasped in disgust, perhaps because of the fishy texture that Jones's hand was sure to have.

"Three days." Then there was quiet and Sora guessed that Jones had gone.

"Mr. Gibbs," Jack mumbled. "I-I feel sullied and unusual." His voice was, indeed, sullied and unusual as he said this.

"And how do you intend to harvest these 99 souls in three days?"

"Fortunately, he was mum as to the condition in which these souls need be." The swagger had returned.

"Ah. Tortuga."

"Tortuga."

That's where Elizabeth and Kairi were going. As much as Sora wanted to stop Jack from doing this, he wanted to find them more. Besides, they could help him. So, he kept hidden until they reached Tortuga.

* * *

Kairi had to stuff her fist in her mouth to keep herself from laughing. Even so, tears streamed down her cheeks and she was shaking with the effort to keep quiet. All the sailors must have thought Kairi was petrified in fear, but Kairi and, up on the yard arm, Elizabeth were having the time of their lives.

They had stolen back Elizabeth's wedding dress and now Elizabeth was swinging it around the ship on strings, like a puppet, making it seem like a ghost was animating it. The captain came bustling out and Elizabeth made the dress point at him, then out to sea.

"She wants you to do something," whispered the bursar.

"She's trying to give a sign," said the captain, stepping forward. Not superstitious, indeed. Man, were they ever eating this up!

Now Elizabeth swung the dress around wildly, aiming to knock a lit lantern onto the deck, which would ignite the oil they had put there. But the lantern landed just short of it and didn't ignite anything. Kairi bit her lip. What now? She couldn't try to fix the situation when the crew was watching.

Elizabeth must have realized this, because she made a big show of swooping the dress to the opposite side of the ship.

"Over there!" the captain cried. "Look for a sign."

While they were trying to decipher signs in seaweed ("Morons," Yuna muttered in Kairi's ear.), Kairi flicked a Firaga at the oil. The flames spread quickly and Elizabeth nodded, indicating that they said the right thing.

Disguising her voice, Kairi said, "What's that over there?" She indicated the burning word: TORTUGA.

* * *

Sora decided to keep hidden as Gibbs signed up men to crew the _Pearl_, seeing as Sora hadn't yet seen any sign of Kairi and Elizabeth. Besides, Sora thought as he looked around the tavern, Tortuga did not seem like a good place to confront Jack. He thanked whatever higher power that had determined his journey before for not bringing him to Tortuga the first time around.

Jack was not involved with the collecting; in fact, he was behaving curiously…more curiously than normal. Withdrawn to a secluded corner, he was muttering, "I know what I want" and opening his compass, then closing it in frustration and repeating the process.

"And what's your story?" Gibbs asked the fifth man to turn up.

"My story," the man slurred, half-drunk. "It's exactly the same as your story, just one chapter behind." This guy sounded a lot like Auron, except for being plastered. "I chased a man across the seven seas." Now Jack looked over at the man, frowning. "The pursuit cost me my crew, my commission, and my life." The man grabbed some rum off the table and took a swig.

Gibbs furrowed his eyebrows and whispered, "Commodore?" _Commodore? _As in Commodore Norrington, the fourth person destined to swing courtesy of Lord Beckett?

"No, not anymore," Norrington snapped. "Weren't you listening?" He leaned in, causing Gibbs to lean away. By the look of him, Norrington could not have smelled too pleasant, not to mention the air of frightening insanity. "I nearly had you all off Tripoli. I would have, if not for the hurricane." Jack slowly edged behind a potted plant, eager not to be seen by Norrington.

"Lord," Gibbs breathed. "You didn't try to sail through it?"

"So, do I make your crew or not?" asked Norrington. He paused, watching Gibbs, who hadn't moved, before continuing hurriedly, "You haven't said where you're going. Somewhere _nice_?" Norrington overturned the table. Rather loudly, he asked the room, "So, am I worthy to serve under Captain Jack Sparrow?" He cocked his gun at Jack. At least Norrington was sober enough to realize that plants don't move on their own. "Or should I just kill you now?"

Jack did a small dance around a pole to try to confuse Norrington, but the gun followed Jack's head perfectly. "You're hired," Jack said in a last ditch attempt to save his life.

"Sorry," Norrington sneered. "Old habits and all that." He pulled the trigger just as two of the _Pearl's_ crew grabbed his arm and forced it upward. The bullet hit a chandelier and ricocheted into a man's mug, shattering it. The man punched the guy next to him, which started an enormous fight throughout the entire bar.

Jack and Gibbs escaped unnoticed to the second floor, where Jack twittered around trying on hats. Now that Sora realized it, Jack hadn't been wearing a hat this whole time. He must be serious about all this to forget about his hat.

Sora followed, easily going unnoticed as well amidst the chaos. Halfway up the stairs, he saw two of the smallest, thinnest sailors he'd ever seen enter the bar. The second sailor's deep, blue eyes met his for a second, but that was all they needed. Following Jack was more important at the moment.

* * *

Kairi met Sora's clear, blue eyes briefly before he made his way up the stairs, following the strangest pirate she'd ever seen. True, the only pirates she _had_ ever seen were on Captain Hook's ship, and _she_ hadn't really seen them, but these were minor details. _This_ pirate _had_ to be Captain Jack Sparrow if Sora wanted her to wait just a little longer. She understood, though, and let him go.

Elizabeth ducked farther into the room to see what the commotion was. The instigator of this fight appeared to be a man in a frazzled wig and a dirty, blue uniform. Upon seeing him, Elizabeth drew her sword and joined the fray. Wanting to impress Sora, Kairi summoned her Keyblade and went into the most complicated combos Elizabeth had taught her.

* * *

Sora watched the girls out of the corner of his eye, slightly annoyed that they would put themselves in danger, especially when Kairi knew that he was busy. He needn't have worried, though. Both were handling themselves nicely and Kairi seemed to have practiced while she and Sora were separated. She even pulled off some impressive – but unnecessary – combos that Elizabeth must have taught her.

Unfortunately, Jack was leaving and Sora couldn't stay to watch Kairi show off more.

* * *

Poor Yuna was having difficulty not being noticed. Kairi's combos moved all over the place, making it hard for Yuna to stay in her pocket.

The girls found themselves backed into a pole. Backed into the other side of the pole was the man who had started this.

"Come on, then!" the man challenged. "Who wants some? Form an orderly line and I'll have you all, one by one. Come on, who's first?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and grabbed the rum bottle in his hands, smashing it over his head. The whole pub stopped to stare at her. "I just wanted the pleasure of doing that myself," she said.

The crowd cheered and tossed the drunk man out back with the pigs. Elizabeth pushed through the crowd and bent to help the man up. "James Norrington," she murmured sadly.

"Norrington?" The name stirred something in Kairi's memory. "The man on the fourth warrant?"

Elizabeth nodded and addressed James again, "What has the world done to you?"

* * *

Sora watched from his hiding place as Elizabeth strode down the pier, closely followed by Kairi and Norrington. He must have told them that Jack was here.

"Captain Sparrow!" Elizabeth called.

Jack looked quickly over his shoulder. "Come to join my crew, lad? Welcome aboard."

"I'm here to find the man I love." You won't find him here, Sora thought bitterly.

Stopping short, Jack exchanged an uncomfortable look with Gibbs. "I'm deeply flattered, son, but my first and only love is the sea." Idiot.

"Meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow," Elizabeth said as Norrington vomited into the water.

Quickly turning to look at her, Jack muttered, "Elizabeth." He turned back to Gibbs and told him, "Hide the rum," before completely giving the girls his attention.

His eyes swept Kairi once and Sora had a hard time not strangling Jack right there. "You know my dear, you don't hide your feminine qualities as well as Miss Swann here." Sora was delighted to see Kairi glare at Jack after he said this. "You see, these clothes don't flatter you at all. It should be a dress or nothing. Why don't we get acquainted in my cabin, where I happen to have no dress?"

This was going too far. Sora stepped behind Jack and pressed his Keyblade to the side of Jack's neck, hooking his throat with the tip.

Jack was unconcerned with the threat on his life. "You must be Kairi," he simpered.

"That's right," she replied, now glaring at Sora in displeasure, although the corner of her mouth twitched and Sora knew she was slightly amused with him.

"I have a message for you, Jack," Sora said, dismissing his Keyblade. As Jack turned to face him, Sora slapped him as hard as he could across the face. "How's the blood-thirsty crew coming?" Sora asked, surprising even himself with the amount of contempt in it. "Still 94 souls short, aren't you?"

Jack stared at Sora in utter amazement. "You're actually pretty bloody terrifying when you're this angry."

"Never mind that," Elizabeth cut in. "Will left with you" – she pointed to Sora – "to find you," – she pointed at Jack – "now where is he?"

Sora angrily opened his mouth, but Jack raised a hand and cut Sora off. "Darling, I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this, but…," Jack began, "through unfortunate and entirely unforeseeable circumstances that had nothing whatsoever to do with me," – "Liar!" Sora spat – "poor William has been press-ganged into Davy Jones's crew."

"Oh, please," Norrington bit. "The captain of the _Flying Dutchman_?"

"You look bloody awful," Jack commented. "What are you doing here?"

"You hired me," snapped Norrington. "I can't help it if your standards are lax."

"You smell funny," Jack returned.

"Be quiet!" Elizabeth shouted. "I'll hear the story later, but right now, all I want is to find Will."

Jack stared into Elizabeth's face intently. "Are you certain? Is that what you really want most?"

"Of course."

"Because I would think you'd want to find a way to _save_ Will most," Jack said, leading Elizabeth away.

Sora blocked their path with his Keyblade. "What are you up to, Jack?"

"I'm improvising a way to save Will without having to get those 99 souls," Jack said. "You've no problems with that, do you?"

"No," Sora said grudgingly.

"Good," Jack said, turning back to Elizabeth. "There is a chest." – "Oh dear," drawled Norrington – "A chest of unknown size and origin what contains the still-beating heart of Davy Jones and whoever possesses that chest possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever it is he or she wants, including saving brave William from his grim fate."

"You don't actually believe him, do you?" sneered Norrington.

Elizabeth smirked. "I'll believe anything that can make Sora violent." Sora flushed as Kairi and Elizabeth laughed at him. Elizabeth turned back to Jack. "How would we find it?"

"With this." Jack took out his compass, the thing that had started this "adventure" in the first place. "My compass…is unique."

"'Unique' here having the meaning of 'broken,'" Norrington mocked.

"True enough," Jack went on, "this compass does not point north."

Elizabeth was now staring at Jack impatiently. "Where does it point?"

"It points to the thing you want most in this world."

"Oh, Jack. Are you telling the truth?"

"Every word, love. And what you want most in this world" – Jack placed the compass in her hands and closed her fingers around it – "is to find the chest of Davy Jones, is it not?"

"To save Will," Elizabeth corrected.

"By finding the chest of Davy Jones." Jack opened the compass and backed away. The arrow spun around several times, bouncing back and forth before settling.

Jack peered at the needle. "We have our heading."

Everyone headed aboard the _Pearl_, Jack and Sora last. As they walked up the gangplank, Sora grabbed Jack's shoulder and spun him around.

"You've saved your skin again, Jack. I'd think you'd have learned by now that each time you save it from one person, another person steps in to try and take it. Keep that in mind."

* * *

"Beckett?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"Yes, they're signed. Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company," replied Kairi.

"Bluergh!" Jack said, with a motion that looked like he was hurling.

Gibbs rounded on Sora. "You two were working for Beckett and _never said a word?_"

Sora scowled, "We told you why we needed the compass. Why does it matter who wanted it?"

"Because, this can only mean one thing: Beckett wants the chest," Jack mused.

"Yes, he did mention something about a chest," Elizabeth admitted.

"If the company controls the chest, they controls the sea," said Gibbs.

"A truly discomforting notion, mates," Jack explained.

"And bad," Gibbs explained further, not that it was needed. "Bad for every mother's son what calls himself a pirate. I think there's a bit more speed to be coaxed from these sails. Brace the foreyard!" He ran off.

"Might I inquire as to how you came by these?" Jack asked, indicating the letters. For some reason, Kairi turned slightly pink, matching her normal outfit that she had returned to wearing.

"Persuasion," Elizabeth deadpanned.

"Friendly?"

"Decidedly not."

Sora raised an eyebrow at Kairi, not believing her capable of something like this. She mirrored his expression, reminding him that he was guilty of the same.

"Will and Sora strike a deal and uphold it with honor, yet you two are the ones standing with the prize – full pardon," Jack pointed out. "'Commission as a privateer on behalf of England and the East India Trading Company,'" he read. "As if I could be bought for such a low price." Jack pocketed the letters.

"Jack, the letters, give them back," Elizabeth said, rushing forward. Kairi and Sora both moved in, too.

"No," Jack replied. "Persuade me."

"You do know Will taught me how to handle a sword, I taught Kairi, and Sora's always been an amazing swordsman?"

"As I said, persuade me."

Elizabeth stared at Jack, looking like she wanted to shout at him, but didn't know what to say. Then, she sniffed and went to lean against the railing. Jiminy and Yuna went off to collaborate notes and upload them to the Commspheres. Sighing, Sora led Kairi to another section of railing. Truth be told, his feelings about Jack were confused to no end. He didn't know what to do anymore. He sank onto the deck, resting his head on the railing.

Kairi sat next to him and crawled under his arm so that she could rest her head over his heart. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. Why had no one mentioned how natural this was? They sat there, only vaguely aware of anything around them.

"It's a curious thing." Norrington.

Sora gently kissed the top of Kairi's head.

"There was a time when I would have given anything for you to look like that while thinking about me." Norrington again.

Kairi turned her head up and kissed Sora's neck, tickling his chin with her eyelashes.

"I don't know what you mean." Elizabeth.

"I think you do." Norrington.

Sora caught Kairi under the chin before she put her head back down. He stared into her eyes for a moment before bringing her lips to his.

"Oh, don't be absurd. I trust him, that's all." Elizabeth.

They broke away slowly, a knot of guilt forming in Sora's gut. He hadn't told Elizabeth yet.

"So you never wondered how your latest fiancé ended up on the _Flying Dutchman _in the first place?" Norrington.

Sora and Kairi walked over to Elizabeth just as Norrington left. Elizabeth ripped open the compass and, to her horror, it landed on Jack.

"Don't worry, it's just coincidence," Sora assured her. "Listen…" He told her what had happened to Will and himself, Kairi's grip on his arm tightening throughout. When he had finished, he couldn't help asking, "Do you still trust him?"

"I don't know," Elizabeth muttered. "Things always seem to work out for Jack in the end…" Sora couldn't argue with this. "I trust _you_, though," Elizabeth said, looking Sora in the eye, "and that's good enough for me."

* * *

**New Characters:**

Davy Jones: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)  
James Norrington: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)


	12. A Cynic Worthy of Riku

Chapter 12: A Cynic Worthy of Riku

The trio walked into the Gummi Ship – Rikku floated, of course – and stopped.

"Who's driving?" Roxas asked, scratching behind his head. It was clear that he didn't want to drive. From what Riku had heard of Sora's driving, _he_ didn't want Roxas to drive, either.

"I'll drive!" Rikku immediately offered, bouncing in the air.

"_NO!_"

"Aw, why not?" she pouted.

The honest answer was that Riku trusted Rikku with driving as much as he trusted Sora/Roxas (_This is going to give me migraines,_ Riku thought). Rikku's pouting lip was properly pathetic, though, and Riku decided not to tell her this. "You're too small."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that," she muttered. "Man, I hate being so small!"

That left Naminé or Riku, neither of whom had ever set foot in a Gummi Ship before. They hadn't needed to, not with the power of darkness to whisk them around the worlds and back. Naminé looked extremely uncomfortable with the idea of driving the Gummi, so Riku decided to bite the bullet.

"I'll drive. How hard can it be?" Riku said nonchalantly. "You two just settle in the back somewhere and don't let me hear you."

Roxas and Naminé didn't look convinced. They recognized Riku's ulterior motive, but he didn't care. They deserved some time together. Riku raised an eyebrow at them before turning and sinking into the driver's chair.

"We'll just be back here, then," Roxas said to Riku's back. "Call if you need some help."

"Got it."

"Hey!" Rikku squealed. "I'll come join you."

"Oh, no, you don't," grunted Riku, quickly grabbing Rikku out of the air and shoving her into the chair next to him. "Stay up here. I need some help with this."

* * *

Once Rikku had explained the buttons and levers to Riku, he found that driving the Gummi was actually rather easy. Granted, the pathways _were _mostly Heartless-less; things would have been more difficult if Riku had had to use the weapons. Riku found that it was quite relaxing, even with Rikku's constant insertions of, "Are we there yet?" 

Truth be told, Riku wasn't sure if they were there yet, because he didn't know where they were going. When the Gummi's computer asked him for the destination, he tried to look into his heart the way Sora did. His Keyblade had glowed and emitted a shaft of light into the console. After that, the Gummi had lurched off to parts unknown.

Several hours into the trip, Rikku got bored and began playing around with the Commsphere.

"New entries!" she yelled.

"Huh?" Rikku's voice had cut into Riku's torpor.

"Oooooo, there's a new Halfhearted entry and, yikes!, Sora and Kairi were sentenced to death –"

"_What?_" The controls flew out of Riku's grasp as he lunged for the Commsphere. They couldn't die, not now. Not after they were finally together again on the same side. With shaking fingers, Riku began reading the article describing what had happened so far in Port Royal.

"What the hell are you doing, Riku?" Roxas yelled from the door of the cockpit. He ran forward and seized the controls, wrestling the Gummi back to a smooth course. Riku hadn't noticed the Gummi lurching about when his heart had been lurching so much more.

The article got darker as it went, disgusting Riku, but it also helped him breathe easier. Sora and Kairi didn't seem to be in too much danger from the Beckett guy, although Riku bet that they weren't too happy about being blackmailed. A smile formed on his face at the last sentence, though: _Sora and Kairi are so cute!_ After taking a quick look at the Halfhearted entry, Riku raised his head.

"Are you going to take the controls back anytime soon?" asked Roxas irritably. Riku must have interrupted them. Sure enough, Naminé was standing in the doorway where Roxas had been before, her hair slightly rumpled.

Two pangs of guilt went through Riku's stomach; one was guilt, the other was jealousy. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, he was still jealous of Sora, and now Roxas. They both had girls that they loved and who loved them back. Riku wished he had his own girl to have a unique relationship with, a relationship that no one else could duplicate.

"Sorry," Riku muttered, relieving Roxas of the controls. "Before you go back, though, take a look at that." Riku indicated the Commsphere. A few silent moments passed as Roxas and Naminé read.

"This doesn't make sense," Naminé muttered.

"What doesn't?" asked Riku.

"We've only been in the Gummi for a matter of hours, right?" Naminé wondered. When Riku nodded, she continued, "This makes it sound like Sora, Kairi, Jiminy and Yuna have been in Port Royal for a matter of days."

Now that Riku thought about it, he realized that Naminé was completely right. "Rikku? Can you contact Yuna with the Commsphere?"

"Of course, silly!" Rikku giggled. "Commspheres have two-way viewing screens. Watch!" Rikku pressed a button on the Commsphere and it whirred for a moment, then went black. "Hey!" Smacking it once, Rikku sighed, "I guess Yunie has hers turned off."

"That's okay, we're here," Roxas said, pointing at the world that the Gummi now approached. It had many fluorescent lights and a large bell tower. "Traverse Town."

"That's right!" Naminé exclaimed. "Ansem said this was an in-between world –"

"Caught between light and dark," Riku muttered to himself. "Sounds like in-between is synonymous with twilight, which means this is our stop."

* * *

"Ooooooooo, everything's so bright!" Rikku trilled as she twittered about the First District. "Where are we going first?" she asked eagerly. 

"Well, the Keyhole is in the Second District," Roxas said, "but there wasn't a problem with the Radiant Garden Keyhole, so I doubt there's a problem with this one."

Riku gave the air an experimental sniff. "There's nothing here, either. I guess that leaves the Third District."

"A lot of guys _did_ show up there," Roxas admitted. "Donald and Goofy, then that Heartless, ...and you..."

"And Maleficent," said Riku bitterly. He stalked off toward the Third District, not caring if Roxas and Naminé followed. At the moment, he didn't want to hear talks about self-guilt. He wasn't feeling guilty, now, mostly just angry.

The heavy doors seemed like paper as Riku burst through them. Nothing immediately jumped out at Riku from the Third District, although he was reminded of chess. He took some calming breaths to master himself again. Since when did he let his anger get away from him?

Riku jumped as a hand was placed on his shoulder. Now he was letting his guard down, too. Great...

"I'm fine, just saw red for a minute," Riku said as he turned to look at Naminé's concerned face. This brought out her striking resemblance to Kairi, and Riku had to smile.

"Riku..." she admonished.

"You wouldn't understand –"

"Like hell we wouldn't," Roxas cut in. It amused Riku that Roxas's tongue was a bit looser than Sora's. "In case you've forgotten, we're not innocent like Sora and Kairi. I was in the Organization."

"And I'm the reason Sora was asleep for a year," said Naminé, more gently.

"Are you guys always so sulky?" Rikku pouted. "Are we here to save the world, or what?"

Riku laughed at the needed distraction and set off into the Third District. Closer inspection showed no more than Riku's initial glance. Then, he saw a door with a flame on the front. That was the door Sora had come out of when Riku had confronted him here.

"What's in there?" he asked Roxas.

Roxas glanced up at the door. "That's where Merlin stayed while he was here. Do you think it's worth a look?"

"Might as well," Riku said.

Through the door was a wide cavern holding a large lake. In the center was a small island with a pitiful, one-room house that looked like it had been recently remodeled before being abandoned by its latest owner. There was a section of oddly colored brick on the side that looked like a bad patch up, and the doorway facing the cavern entrance looked new.

"Boring," Rikku grumbled.

"Shh!" hissed Riku. He thought he had heard some scuffling noises.

"But, there's noth–"

Riku grabbed Rikku and put his hand over her mouth to shut her up. He'd heard the noises again, but the cavern was silent now. The silence worried Riku more than the noises, though.

Motioning the others to keep quiet, he jumped as lightly as he could onto the first of the floating stones that lead to the island. Any sound that his feet made was swallowed in the vast cavern. Riku sighed as he realized that the acoustics in the cavern were extremely poor. There was still a chance that the person he'd heard hadn't yet heard them.

Quickly, Riku jumped the rest of the stones until he stood on the small island in the middle, Roxas and Naminé soon joining him. Together, they peered into the room. A single torch spluttered on the wall next to the door, casting a wavering pool of light in the entrance. Riku strained his ears, but didn't hear anything else. Cautiously, they entered the room.

As soon as they had crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut with a muffled whumph. A second later, a loud bang echoed around the room. Sounds exploded around them; the small ripples of the lake were amplified to the point of sounding like waves crashing against a cliff.

Quickly growing nervous, Riku realized that the acoustics in the cavern weren't poor at all; the walls amplified every sound and redirected it toward the house. Whoever was here had easily heard them coming.

Naminé gasped and this small sound was bounced around the room and through the door, which didn't seem to block sound. This room acted like a small version of the cavern, amplifying sounds and redirecting them toward the cavern entrance. That's how Riku had heard the scuffling before. That's how this person could hear them now.

"What's going on?" Roxas whispered urgently.

"A trap," Riku whispered back.

"That's right," said a fifth, female voice. It echoed loudly and ominously throughout the room. As its echo died away, a low hum grew in its place, drowning out the sounds of the water. The walls began vibrating, matching the pitch of the hum. Dust flew into the air, stirred by the now violently shaking walls.

"She's going to vibrate the house down!" screamed Riku. Riku, Roxas, and Rikku huddled around Naminé, who cast Reflega over them. Bricks and mortar crashed down on them, only to slide off Naminé's spell and settle around them.

Finally, the hum stopped and the ruins of the house quit shifting dangerously, though dust still clouded the air. Naminé collapsed, utterly spent, and the boys had to grab her arms to keep her from hitting any sharp pieces of brick.

A shadowy figure – clearly female – approached through the dust, a strange looking sword in her hand. Her finger fiddled with something near the hilt, causing the sword to shorten. Riku and Roxas summoned their Keyblades.

"Don't move!" she commanded. She had a light, soprano voice that echoed clearly in the air. "Put down your weapons or I'll fry you with microwaves." The inflection in the flute-like voice was almost musical, varying in pitch in perfect intervals.

"Microwaves?" Roxas snorted. "Are you going to cook us and eat us?"

Naminé elbowed him. "She's not talking about the appliance. Microwaves are a high frequency radio wave. The appliance cooks food by emitting microwaves that heat up water molecules in the food. If we're exposed to enough microwave radiation, though, we _will_ cook, literally."

"You understand my threat," the girl mocked. "Good for you."

Riku vaguely remembered covering microwaves in biology while talking about the electromagnetic spectrum and photosynthesis. It was doubtful that this girl could produce enough microwaves to be a serious threat, but why take the chance? He slowly placed his Keyblade on the ground in front of him, planning on summoning it back if he needed it. Reluctantly, Roxas did the same.

"Now back away," she ordered. Carefully, they clambered over the rubble towards the former back wall, Naminé leaning heavily on Roxas. The girl inched slowly forward towards the Keyblades, never taking her eyes off the group.

The dust was beginning to settle and Riku was able to get a good look at the girl. She was about average height, wearing a light blue, halter top; khaki, cargo capris; and tan, leather sandals. Blond hair brushed her neck, where it was pulled back in a low ponytail. Down, it might have been shoulder length.

Her weapon looked like a large tuning fork. There was a loop on the base of the hilt that was gripped by her pinky. Another loop at the top of the hilt was hooked by her pointer finger and was attached to a slide valve, like a trumpet. Riku guessed that this was how she changed the length of the weapon.

Her most curious feature, though, was her eyes. Riku couldn't tell whether they were blue or green; the color kept shifting with the light. They betrayed intelligence; both a learned intellect and a quick mind. They were also wide with fear.

Now Riku took in her rumpled clothes and several abrasions on her body. It gave her the appearance of a cornered animal that was willing to fight to the death. The most desperate were always the most dangerous.

"We don't want to hurt you," Riku said evenly.

"Forgive me for not taking your word for it," the girl replied, rolling her eyes. She bent and picked up Way to the Dawn. At her touch, it immediately vanished and reappeared in Riku's hand. Riku groaned as the girl picked up Oblivion and Oathkeeper, only to have them return to Roxas.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and she pushed the slide upward. The weapon grew incredibly long, almost too long to be supported by the hilt. She hit the weapon on the sole of her shoe and it emitted a lower hum, almost too low to hear.

Riku felt the hum in his chest, felt his heart respond to the frequency. His darkness vibrated out of his control, causing some to escape his body and form a dark aura around him, emitting the same hum. Looking at his companions, Riku saw the same thing happen to Roxas and Naminé.

"You use darkness," the girl said with a slight tremor in her voice. She dampened the weapon on the ground – the hum stopped and the auras vanished – and leaned wearily on it. "Let's see how you handle light."

The weapon shortened until it all but vanished into the hilt. This time, the hum emitted was almost too _high_ to hear. Riku's _light_ vibrated out of control, creating an aura around him.

"_Both?_" the girl breathed, her eyes wide in surprise. Her arm dropped to her side, dampening the weapon on her thigh, and she swayed alarmingly. Riku darted forward to catch her arm and lowered her gently to the ground.

"What are you doing?" she snapped, her voice surprisingly strong considering how tired she had looked.

"Making sure you don't skewer yourself," Riku replied, raising an eyebrow. Her eyes bored into his, searching them for answers.

Her brow furrowed. "I attacked you," she said, a trace of wonder in her voice. "I could still attack you."

Riku smirked and turned back toward Roxas and Naminé, who were still struggling over the ruins. "I doubt you could hurt me at the moment."

A brick smashed into his head and Riku felt a small trickle of blood on his neck. "Did that hurt?" the girl asked sarcastically. He spun on the spot, regretted it instantly as his head began pounding, and glowered at her. For a split second, he saw it; a slight, playful grin.

"Sorry I attacked you," she called over Riku's shoulder. "Can't be too careful, you know?" Naminé smiled gently as Roxas grunted and helped her onto a smooth rock. The girl turned back to Riku, whom she seemed to identify with most. Lucky him... "So, you can use light _and_ darkness. Just who the hell are you guys?"

"I'm Riku. That's Roxas and Naminé," Riku said, pointing to each in turn.

"Hey!" Rikku trilled indignantly. "What about me?"

"And that's...Rikku," he finished with a grimace.

Snorting, the girl giggled, "You have the same name?"

"Unfortunately," grumbled Riku. "What's yours?"

"Yukari, or Ri for short. That's it. Not Yuka, not Kari, and _definitely_ not Yukes or you'll get some yukes in your face." She raised her fists to emphasize the point.

"Right, nice to meet you," said Roxas indifferently, "but we have places to go, people to see, bad guys to destroy." He helped Naminé to her feet.

"But, we can't just leave her here," Naminé protested.

"Yeah! You destroyed my house, the least you could do is help me find a place to stay," Ri said, taking up the argument.

"Excuse me," bit Riku. "_You _destroyed the house."

"I wouldn't have had to if you hadn't showed up."

"You didn't _have_ to. We weren't going to hurt you."

"And you made that perfectly clear to me by sneaking around like that."

"That's because _you_ were sneaking around in the house."

"I wasn't sneaking around, I was..." she muttered, "practicing." Her cheeks flushed, but she stared defiantly at Riku, daring him to pursue the subject.

Raising his eyebrows, Riku said, "There's an inn in the Second District. We can all spend the night there." He looked over his shoulder at Rikku, Roxas and Naminé. "Sound good?"

"You're the boss," Rikku grinned, winking.

Naminé yawned, "A bed sounds nice, actually." With that, she put her head on Roxas's shoulder and fell asleep.

Shaking his head, Roxas gathered Naminé in his arms. "Inn it is."

Ri smiled coyly. "What if I don't want to go to an inn?"

"Then I guess it's too bad," Riku smirked. "Let's go, Yukes."

As expected, Ri aimed a punch at his head. Ducking under her arm, he took advantage of the opening and picked her up.

"Hey!" she yelled. "Put me down! I can walk."

"Yeah, and you'll take all night just to get across the lake," Riku grunted.

Privately, Riku wondered if Jessu had sent Yukari to him, or him to her, his thoughts periodically interrupted by Ri's continued complaints. It seemed like Jessu's idea of a joke, answering Riku's wish this way. This certainly _was _a unique relationship and Riku fervently prayed that it _wouldn't _be duplicated. A tiny part of him liked the connection, but he would be lucky to survive his time with Yukari.

After placing the now sleeping Ri on a bed, Riku walked onto the balcony and gazed up into the night sky. "You have a sick sense of humor, Jessu," Riku told the stars. "You'd better not die before I find you; you're overdue for a serious tongue-lashing."

* * *

**A/N: **Make sure you check out my profile. That's where I write most of my author's notes.

**New Characters:**

Yukari: Kingdom Hearts III


	13. Testing Sora’s Wit

Chapter 13: Testing Sora's Wit

"Guard the boat. Mind the tide. Don't touch my dirt," Jack told Pintel and Ragetti as he Sora, Kairi, Elizabeth, and Norrington went about exploring the island they had landed on, Elizabeth leading.

Kairi and Yuna got bored after a while, and Yuna started trying to teach Kairi a spell called 'Holy.' Knowing Yuna, though, Sora doubted the spell was useful.

They'd walked for a ways when Elizabeth stopped short. She changed direction, walked a few paces, and changed direction again. Then, she stopped, glanced at Jack and sat, throwing the compass aside.

"This doesn't work," said Elizabeth in exasperation. "And it certainly doesn't show you what you want most."

Jack peered at the compass, which now pointed at Elizabeth. "Yes, it does. You're sitting on it."

"Beg pardon?"

"Move."

He motioned for Norrington to dig under her. Not even three feet down, his shovel struck something. They worked together to brush off the remaining sand and heaved the chest up.

It seemed this wasn't the Dead Man's Chest. Jack opened it easily to find lots of letters. Brushing these aside, they found a smaller, iron chest inside. They leaned in closer and could hear thumping inside it.

"It's real," Elizabeth breathed.

Norrington stared at Jack in disbelief. "You actually were telling the truth."

"I do that quite a lot," Jack replied, "yet people are always surprised."

"With good reason!" wheezed a sixth voice.

"Will!"

Elizabeth immediately ran to him and threw herself into his arms. "You're all right! Thank God! I came to find you!" Sora and Kairi grinned at each other.

"How did you get here?" Jack asked.

"Sea turtles, mate," Will answered. "A pair of them, strapped to my feet."

"Not so easy, is it?"

"But I do owe you thanks, Jack. After you tricked me onto that ship to square your debt with Jones...I was reunited with my father."

"Waitwaitwaitwait," Sora said, emphasizing each 'wait' with his hands. "What do we need the chest for, then, if not to save Will?"

Will dropped before the chest, a knife in one hand, the key to the chest in the other. "To kill Jones."

Jack pulled out his sword. "Can't let you do that, William. 'Cause if Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?" Will slowly got to his feet and Jack held out his hand. "Now, if you please. The key."

Grabbing Elizabeth's sword, Will pointed it at Jack. "I keep the promises I make, Jack. I intend to free my father. I hope you're here to see it."

Now Norrington pulled out a sword. "I can't let you do that either. So sorry."

"I knew you'd warm up to me eventually," Jack said. Norrington shifted his sword to cover Jack as he said this, Will moved to cover Norrington, and Jack, taken off guard by the movements, shrugged and decided to cover Will.

"Lord Beckett desires the contents of that chest," Norrington muttered. "I deliver it, I get my life back."

"Now, hold on a minute," Sora said, trying to get between the men.

"Sora, stay out of this," grunted Will. "I don't want to involve you, not after you've helped us so much already."

"Yeah," Jack added. "Don't want you tinkering, or whatever it is Tia Dalma called it."

The three men began hacking and slashing at the same moment. They took off down the beach in a tangle of flying arms and steel, with Elizabeth shouting about barbarians in their wake. Kairi and Sora were left to stand aimlessly beside the chest.

"Should we open the chest?" Kairi whispered, shifting her feet.

"You don't want to do that," echoed yet another voice, sending chills down Sora's spine. A dark flame appeared behind Kairi and before either of them could call their Keyblades, the Restless had placed a rapier-like Keyblade to Kairi's throat with one hand. The Restless's other arm pressed Kairi's arms against her chest so that her Keyblade couldn't reach her captor even if she tried to summon it.

Sora glared at the Restless now threatening his Princess. If Sora hadn't heard the masculine voice, he wouldn't have been able to tell that the Restless was a man, due to the fact that every inch of him was covered in black. A hood and mask even hid most of his face. Ever so slightly, Sora edged toward them.

The Keyblade bit into Kairi's beautiful throat, drawing a drop of blood. "If you wish her dead, by all means keep moving," the Restless in black taunted. Sora scowled, but halted. He vented some frustration by summoning his Keyblade.

"My master has given me explicit instructions," the Restless in black continued, "including that she stops breathing in the very near future." Sora's grip tightened on his Keyblade. The constant attempts on Kairi's life/heart were really starting to annoy him. "Ah, I see that if she stops breathing in the very near future, you are likely to give me the same fatal illness. I've died once and am not in a hurry to do so again. Neither do you want her to die. So, we are at an impasse."

This guy was thoroughly irritating Sora, talking in circles when he need not explain anything at all. Trying, and failing, to keep impatience out of his voice, Sora asked through clenched teeth, "Then what do you suggest we do besides wait for one of us to spontaneously combust?" That sounded like one of Donald's Fire spells gone wrong.

"Such impatience!" the Restless in black chuckled. "In that case, I challenge you to a battle of wits."

A battle of wits? Sora didn't like the sound of that; Riku was the witty one. But what choice did he have? "I accept."

A table materialized between them with two goblets of wine on it. The Restless in black sat before one goblet, dragging Kairi with him, and Sora settled uneasily in front of the other.

"Do you know what iocane powder is?" asked the Restless in black.

"No, but I'm sure it's nothing good," Sora deadpanned.

"Quite right. It is odorless, tasteless, and dissolves immediately in any kind of liquid. It also happens to be the deadliest poison known to my world."

Sora groaned, "And I have to guess where the poison is?"

"Precisely. The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we drink the wine and find out who is right and who is dead."

Kairi shuddered, but kept silent as the Keyblade was still on her throat. It was too late to back out, though. Sora could feel the magic of this challenge binding all of them. There was nothing to do but try to guess...no, _deduce_ where the poison was. Who was he kidding? Sora had a dizzying intellect; he felt an unpleasant sense of vertigo whenever he tried to think too hard.

Helplessly, Sora placed his hands in his pockets and started fiddling with the items to give his hands something to do. His fingers brushed over an unfamiliar item and Sora was hit with inspiration.

Sora rearranged his face in what he hoped was terror and shouted, "The _Dutchman_!"

The Restless in black glanced away, long enough for Sora to tip the Antidote from Shinra into his goblet.

"Sorry, my mistake," Sora said. "Let's drink." He picked up his glass as the Restless in black picked up his, too, and both drank.

"You guessed wrong," the Restless in black sneered as the goblets were replaced on the table. "I'll bet you switched the glasses while my back was turned. Well, it doesn't matter. They were both poisoned." – Kairi whimpered – "I spent two years of my life building up immunity to iocane powder."

Sora grinned smugly, "Nope. I just poured an Antidote into mine."

"Antidote?" the Restless in black repeated incredulously. "There is no known antidote to iocane powder."

"Apparently there is, seeing as I'm not dead," Sora deadpanned.

The Restless in black shrugged. "You have a point."

"So," Sora began, "it seems we're still at an impasse."

"Yes, indeed. So, why don't we take up our Keyblades, one-on-one, and try to kill each other like civilized men?"

"Sounds good to me," Sora said, still staring down the Restless in black. Fighting Sora could handle. The Restless in black released Kairi, who immediately summoned her Keyblade.

"No, Kairi!" Sora shouted. "Please, let me do this."

"Alright," she relented. "But, be careful."

"Always."

There was one more tense moment of silence. Then Sora and the Restless in black sprang to their feet, sending a spray of sand into the air, and began dueling.

Kairi watched the two fretfully, but stayed where she was. Determined to at least be useful, she turned her back on the duel to guard the chest...but it was gone. Pintel and Ragetti were lumbering away with it, followed hotly by Elizabeth. Well...Sora hadn't told her _not _to do anything... Kairi sped after them.

The Restless in black, Sora decided, was a _great_ swordsman. In all his battles, Sora had never fought anyone who was purely left-handed, a situation he now knew to be quite awkward.

In this open terrain, the Restless in black was stronger. Sora was forced to play defense.

"You have a marvelous Bonetti defense," the Restless in black commented. "I wonder if some McBone with a touch of Capo Ferro might break it." The onslaught that followed the cryptic words _did_ manage to break Sora's defense, so he went on the offensive instead.

"Thibault!" cried the Restless in black. "It's been so long since someone took the attack against me."

The move to offense gave Sora the slight advantage he needed. Outmatched in the open, Sora took a leaf out of Roxas's book and headed towards the forest, where he could try to dodge the Restless in black.

It worked. The Restless in black was a terror in the open, but weaker when quarters were close. Deeper and deeper into the forest they went, until the ground became rockier. Sora changed his tactics so that he wouldn't have to move his feet much and risk slipping.

"Ah, the Agrippa defense," said the Restless in black. "Fitting for the rocky terrain. Nothing a good Capo Ferro can't counter, though."

Sora's defense was, once again, broken. As Sora struggled against the new attack, he shouted, "What are you talking about?"

"Your tactics. Aren't you using the tactics of the masters of old?" the Restless in black asked, startled, though his fencing remained solid.

"No," Sora grunted. "I'm just doing what comes naturally to me."

"Truly, you are quite the artist," marveled the Restless in black. "I hate to kill you."

"You're pretty good, yourself," Sora replied. "I hate to die."

Sora began another offensive combo, making it as wild and unprecedented as possible. This bizarre attack finally managed to stump the Restless in black and Sora felt he was on the verge of victory.

"You cannot tell it," the Restless in black said then, "because I wear a cape and mask. But I am smiling now."

"Why's that?" Sora couldn't help asking.

"Because I'm not left-handed."

Now the Restless in black, switching his sword hand, took the lead and bore down on Sora.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth had caught up to Pintel and Ragetti and made to draw her sword...only to remember that Will had it. The men glared at her evilly, then baulked as they saw a glowering Kairi over Elizabeth's shoulder, Radiating Garden in hand.

Elizabeth turned, the same expression on her face. Rolling her eyes, Kairi also turned and saw a band of Davy's crew running towards them. Typical.

Turning tail, Pintel and Ragetti handed their swords over to Elizabeth. They picked up the chest and ran, Elizabeth and Kairi not far behind, even as they saw a mill wheel rolling through the forest. Will and James dueled on top of it as Jack ran along behind.

With the tide of battle turned, the Restless in black drove Sora into the wheel's path. At the last second, Sora ducked inside the wheel, shortly joined by the Restless in black.

Vaguely, Sora registered that Jones's key was stuck on a nail inside the wheel. Jack must've known this, because he ducked inside the wheel a moment later and wasn't concerned that it was already occupied.

Will was thrown down on top of the wheel and had a brief view of the fight below, as well as the key on the other side. Reaching out a hand to Will, Sora helped pivot Will to the key. Then, Jack drew his sword and lunged at Will just as Norrington swung down to join them.

As Sora got a fleeting view of Kairi, the Restless in black shouted, "Get the chest!"

Kairi, Elizabeth, Pintel and Ragetti had worked out a marvelous strategy to make up for Elizabeth lacking a sword:

"Sword!" Elizabeth called. A sword passed over Kairi's head into Elizabeth's hand. Elizabeth sliced the crewman in front of her, then passed the sword on to the next person to call for it.

"Blizzaga!" Ragetti called. Kairi shot the spell in his direction and Ragetti pulled a crewman in its path.

Kairi's skin crawled and, although she didn't see the flames, she knew that Halfhearted had appeared to join the fight. Sure enough, Kairi saw Golems and a new type that looked like what Sora had called Medusas.

"Great," Kairi grumbled. This three way fight was not making things easier. Perhaps it was time to try Yuna's new spell.

Kairi gathered the magic in her body and let it flow into her heart. There, she concentrated on turning the magic into light energy. It flowed from her heart to her arms and into her Keyblade. Balls of light began to form around her. When Kairi felt she couldn't put any more into the spell, she thrust her Keyblade to the heavens and the balls flew into the sky. Light flashed in the clouds and the balls streaked back to the earth, striking down whatever they touched.

"Wow," Kairi breathed.

"Told you it was a good spell," said Yuna from Kairi's pocket.

The spell ripped through the Halfhearted and blinded the crewmen, allowing the pirates to gain an edge. Slowly, they made their way back towards the chest.

Back inside the wheel, Jack managed to get the key and quickly ducked out. As soon as Jack was gone, the wheel sped up. The four still inside had to stop fighting and hold on for dear life...or whatever form of existence the Restless in black had.

The wheel crashed through the trees as Pintel and Ragetti handed their swords to Elizabeth and grabbed the chest. Elizabeth blocked three crewmen, turned, and slammed the swords backward under her arms, taking out two more crewmen.

They ran toward the beach, where Jack was already loading the longboat. No more Halfhearted came, but crewmen still pursued them. Suddenly, the mill wheel plowed through the water and bowled over some crewmen in the process. It slowed, stopped, and tipped, allowing Will, Norrington, Sora, and the Restless in black to stagger out dizzily.

"The powers of darkness can't solve something as simple as dizziness?" the Restless in black slurred.

Sora saw his chance. He knew this would most likely be his only chance, too, and forced the dizziness away. With an enormous effort, Sora forced his Keyblade to remain on a straight path as he thrust it through the Restless in black's chest.

"Inconceivable!" the Restless in black screamed as he began dissipating. The thin, rapier-like Keyblade fell point down into the sand and Sora grasped the hilt.

Light flashed as before and Sora found himself at the Crossroads again. The Restless in black emerged from the haze, his handsome face and blond hair unmasked. _The Princess Blade_, the thin Keyblade, was in Sora's hand.

"I haven't had a duel like that since Inigo," the Wielder said, grinning like a child. "And you're only fifteen!" He shook his head and offered a hand, which Sora grasped firmly. "I'm Westley, but everyone calls me the Dread Pirate Roberts."

"Why's that?" Sora asked, amused and curious.

"Well no one would fear the Dread Pirate Westley," he chuckled. "It's all in a name, really. When I was alive, the Dread Pirate Roberts was a name feared by everyone. There were many men, including myself, who went by the name. It had died out by the time I died, though. I reckon the only ones who remember the name now are Tia Dalma and Davy Jones."

"Tia Dalma..." Sora muttered, trying to recall that conversation. "She said something about a war."

Westley got an apologetic look on his face. "I don't know much about that, it was long after my time. The only thing I know for sure is that it happened at the Crossroads."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, it's hard to explain...," Westley tried. "My heart, through _The Princess Blade_, was aware that there was fighting going on around it. The darkness was strong enough for my heart to sense it even though I'm dead. I think that someone picked _The Princess Blade_ up at one point, too. Must have been a Wielder; I would've remembered if it was someone evil."

Sora groaned, "So you think Astan is starting up this war again?"

"It's very likely, but I can't say for sure," admitted Westley. "Astan wanted Jones's heart to create a powerful Halfhearted. That's why he sent me, er..., not me, but –"

"I get it," Sora interrupted.

"Right. Anyway, I doubt this is anything the Keyblade Wielders can't handle, though. You'll have to rally them to your cause, prepare the troops..."

"'Prepare the troops?'" Sora repeated, incredulous. "What troops? There's only five of us."

"_Five?_" cried Westley. For the first time, Westley looked unsettled. He began pacing anxiously.

"Three of us are Masters," Sora said defensively. After all, he _had_ saved the worlds once with _only_ Donald and Goofy. Surely Westley was overreacting.

"Where are they from?" Westley demanded.

"Well, Mickey's from Disney Castle –"

"Yes, yes. There's always one there."

"– and Roxas was my Nobody, don't ask. Then Riku, Kairi, and I are from Destiny Islands."

"_Two worlds_?" Westley stopped pacing and stared open-mouthed at Sora. "Only two worlds?"

Sora watched Westley, dread forming in the pit of his stomach. "Should there be more?"

"Yes!" Westley exploded. "When I lived, there was a Wielder for every four worlds and we considered our numbers smaller than normal."

Something gripped Sora's heart as he guessed at the truth. "The war. Most of them died in the war and the numbers haven't been replenished by new Wielders yet."

"Unfortunately, that is also very likely," Westley whispered. He lapsed into silence and only broke it again when _The Princess Blade_ flashed.

"I wish I could offer you more assistance, but all I can do is lend you my power. I can give you advice, though: Never let go of Kairi, because true love can sustain you when everything else fails. Good luck!"

The light flashed again and Sora found himself back on the beach, being pulled into the longboat by Kairi. He felt the sphere in his hand being absorbed into his clothes, but repressed the power surge for the moment.

An oar flew at Will's head, knocking him out. Elizabeth ran to his figure, slumped over the boat.

"Leave him lie," Jack commanded. "Unless you plan on using him to hit something with."

"We're not getting out of this," groaned Elizabeth.

"Not with the chest," Norrington stated. "Into the boat." He grabbed the chest from the snug spot it was stowed in.

"You're mad!" said Elizabeth.

"Don't wait for me." Norrington ran off with the chest and Davy's crew followed.

"I say we respect his final wish," Jack suggested. They all got into the longboat and headed back to the _Pearl_.

Everyone was bustling about in good spirits, having escaped Jones, as they made ready to sail. Will even came around, though he looked disappointed at the loss of the chest.

There was a great splash as the _Dutchman_ exploded out of the water next to them, floating ominously.

"Lord on high, deliver us," Gibbs murmured, crossing himself.

But Jack took this in stride. "I'll handle this, mate," he said, strutting forward. "Oi, fishface!" Jack raised his jar of dirt high over his head. "Lose something? Eh? _Scungilli_!" Not watching where he was going, Jack toppled down some steps. At the bottom, he held the jar high over his head protectively. "Got it!" He got up. "Come to negotiate, eh, have you, you slimy git? Look what I got."

Everyone stared at Jack, wondering if he was going crazy...crazier than normal.

"I got a jar of dirt. I got a jar of dirt," Jack sang mockingly. "And guess what's inside it?"

Sora gasped. Did Jack have Jones's heart?

Much to everyone's dismay, Jones disregarded the threat. The _Dutchman's_ cannons emerged, pointing at the _Pearl_.

"Hard to starboard," Jack grimaced.

"Hard to starboard!" Elizabeth screamed.

"Brace up the foreyard!" yelled Will.

Everyone hurried to follow these orders. Sora and Kairi knew enough about ships to understand what was going on – sailors often gave odd jobs to kids on their ships – but decided to start firing spells to buy time.

The _Dutchman's _cannons blasted away, but the _Pearl_ didn't have a hope of fighting. Instead, they tried to escape. Sora went into Shuyin Form and started using 'Force Rain' and 'Terror of Zanarkand' to take out the cannons. Some of those suckers were triple-barreled, for crying out loud! Even amidst all the carnage, though, Sora was able to notice that Shuyin's technique was a lot like Tidus's. Go figure.

"She's falling behind!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Aye. We've got her!" said Gibbs.

"We're the faster?" Will asked.

"Against the wind, the _Dutchman_ beats us. That's how she takes her prey," Gibbs answered. "But with the wind..."

"We rob her advantage," said Will, though he still looked uneasy.

A cry came from the crow's nest. "They're giving up." Cheers erupted all around, but Will was all but happy.

"My father is on that ship," Will spat at Jack. "If we can outrun her, we can take her. We should turn and fight."

"Why fight when you can negotiate?" Jack asked. "All one needs is the proper leverage." Jack placed the jar of dirt on a railing and began stroking it like a pet.

Suddenly, the boat pitched, sending the jar over the railing to smash on the deck. Jack whimpered as if injured and ran to the scattered dirt. "Where is it? Where is the thump-thump?"

Sora's stomach plummeted. Without the heart, they were dead. What was worse, Sora thought he knew who took it; Norrington. That was where his sudden act of charity had come from.

"We must have hit a reef!" a crew member shouted, for the _Pearl_ had stopped moving.

"No," Will breathed. "It's not a reef!" he screamed. "Get away from the rail!" He pulled Elizabeth towards the center of the deck.

"What is it?" Sora asked, although he had already guessed the answer.

"The kraken... To arms!" Will bellowed.

"Load guns! Defend the mast!" Gibbs yelled.

Will took up the orders again. "It'll attack the starboard, I've seen it before. Run out the cannons and hold for my signal!"

"What should Kairi and I do?" asked Sora.

"Whatever you can, but _wait for my signal_."

Kairi was already on it. She was in the center of the deck gathering energy in her Keyblade. Balls of light grew around her. Instinctively, Sora grabbed her hands in his. Now pooling their powers, they found that they didn't need the Keyblade to facilitate this spell. They stepped closer together, sandwiching their clasped hands between their chests. Three powers began mingling together: Sora's strong, unyielding light; Kairi's soft, gentle light; and the power of their love. These powers seeped into Kairi's Holy spell and created a light purer than that of even Kingdom Hearts.

Noises drifted up from below the deck, but Will hadn't signaled, so Sora and Kairi waited to unleash the spell. Tentacles snaked up the side of the ship and onto the deck; still Will didn't signal. They stretched higher and higher, nearly reaching the crow's nest.

"Will!" Elizabeth cried desperately.

"Fire!"

Sora and Kairi let loose the new Limit they'd created, Holy Love. The cannons fired. With a beastly moan, the tentacles retreated to more cheers from the crew.

"It'll be back," Will said. "Pull the grates. Get all the gunpowder onto the net in the cargo hold!" He looked Sora square in the eye. "Whatever you do, don't miss."

"As soon as you're clear," Sora replied gravely.

The men had begun loading the powder when a man called, "We are short-stocked on gun powder! Six barrels!"

"Then load the rum," Will replied. The men stared at him stonily for a moment, looking as if this proposition might be worse than being killed by the kraken, then reluctantly complied.

On the deck, Sora heard Elizabeth whisper, "Oh, you coward." Sora turned to see Jack rowing away in a longboat. _Spineless _coward.

The ship lurched again and this time, the tentacles went straight for the cannons. They flailed about, grabbing men and cargo alike, destroying all.

"Haul away!" Will commanded. The net full of explosives must have been ready.

"Heave!" Gibbs screamed. "Heave like you're being paid for it!"

Slowly, the net lifted out of the cargo hold, Will hanging on to the side to guide it safely. It wasn't quite high enough, yet.

A tentacle smashed the mechanism that was lifting the net and the net halted its ascent. Frantically, Will tried to lure the tentacles to him, but just as Sora had a clear shot for his Firaga spell, Will's boot got caught in the netting.

Sora had to duck as more tentacles came at him. He dashed up the stairs to the helm, beating the tentacles back. Taking careful aim, Sora let the spell build again, ready to fire as soon as Will was free.

A hand on his shoulder made him stop. Turning around, Sora saw that Jack had returned. Grinning, Sora obeyed an instinct that came from the part of his heart that he associated with Hojevah. Sora took the _Follow the Wind_ key chain out and placed it in Jack's hand, along with a spare Fire spell. A Keyblade immediately formed in Jack's hand.

Will fell clear as Jack easily shouldered his Keyblade like a gun. The spell shot from Jack's Keyblade and collided with a barrel. There was a massive explosion that ripped the tentacles misfortunate enough to get caught in the blast to calamari. Quivering with pain, the tentacles retreated again.

The few survivors peered over the railing. "Did we kill it?" Kairi asked nervously.

"No," Gibbs whispered. "We just made it angry. We're not out of this yet. Captain, orders!"

"Abandon ship," Jack said simply, "into the longboat."

"Jack," cried Gibbs. "The _Pearl_."

"She's only a ship, mate," Jack muttered. Sora could clearly hear the loss in Jack's voice, despite his calm words.

"He's right. We have to head for land," Elizabeth agreed.

Pintel looked dubious. "It's a lot of open water."

"We have to try," Will spoke up. "We can get away as it takes down the _Pearl_."

Another moment passed before Gibbs relented. "Abandon ship. Abandon ship or abandon hope."

They headed for the longboat, leaving Jack alone to say goodbye to the ship. As Will was climbing down, something he saw made him stop.

Gibbs interrupted Will's thoughts, "Prepare to cast off. There's no time to lose. Come on, Will. Step to!"

Elizabeth was the last to clamber shakily into the boat. Once she was seated, Will asked, "Where's Jack?"

"He elected to stay behind to give us a chance," Elizabeth replied. As one, the boat's occupants turned their heads towards where Jack must have been. "Go!" Elizabeth commanded, breaking the trance.

As the boat moved away, the passengers turned to watch the _Pearl_ being dragged to the depths by the kraken. Kairi put her head on Sora's shoulder, tears silently flowing. Tears dripped down his own face, too, as he gathered Kairi in his arms. Dead, right after Hojevah had chosen him. Sora could imagine Jack, Keyblade blazing – possibly literally, lunging even as the kraken swallowed him whole.

Elizabeth seemed the most shaken about all this. She _was_ the last to the boat. Could she have had something to do with Jack's sacrifice? Since Will didn't seem to want to comfort her, Sora placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder and did his best to plaster his trademark grin on his face.

* * *

Inside Tia Dalma's hut, Tia was solemnly handing out drinks "for the cold and the sorrow." She didn't even make a big fuss about a Princess of Heart being in her house.

Mournfully, they toasted to Captain Jack Sparrow. After the toast, Will looked at Elizabeth strangely, as if afraid of losing her, and asked, "If there was anything could be done to bring him back...?"

"Would you do it?" Tia cut in. "What would you...what would any of you be willing to do, hm? Would you sail to the ends of the Earth and beyond to fetch back witty Jack and him precious _Pearl_?"

All around the room, everyone firmly gave confirmation.

"All right," Tia grinned. "But if you go and brave the weird and haunted shores at world's end...then you will need a captain who knows these waters."

She turned towards the stairs as a pair of boots began to clump down them. They all stood, watching the man's descent in wondrous curiosity. As the man's face came into view, Sora started to edge in front of Kairi.

"So tell me, what's become of my ship?" Barbossa asked, taking a bite of apple. No one looked thrilled to see Barbossa, but who could better help them bring back a dead man than a man returned to life himself?

Barbossa strode over to Sora and Kairi. "Your help has been much appreciated, young Keyblade Wielders, but now we needs be saving our world the pirate's way, and though ye be many things, pirates ye be not."

"No disagreements there," Sora said dryly.

"So, for now, our paths part," Barbossa continued. "Other worlds await your help. But rest assured. When _our_ final battle comes, we will send for you. And when _your_ final battle comes, we will return the favor."

"Right," Sora nodded. He and Kairi shared quick goodbyes before walking out of sight and through a door to the next world.

* * *

**A/N:** Oooooo, one of the names is all slanty-like. I think that means it's a book. Yup yup, that definitely means it's a book. Woah, dude! She reads _and_ plays video games? FTW?

**New Characters:**

Westley: _The Princess Bride _(1973) (Yes, it was a book before it was a movie.)  
Captain Barbossa: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)


	14. Karmas and Enigmas

Chapter 14: Karmas and Enigmas

Riku reentered the room, only to find that Yukari was attempting to steal his bed. She was sitting under the covers and playing with her ears.

"What are you doing?" he asked loudly, refraining from yelling only for the sake of Roxas and Naminé next door, especially since they also had to deal with Rikku.

"These earpieces are uncomfortable to sleep in," she replied, showing Riku the earpieces. So she wasn't just randomly playing with her ears. She placed them next to her weapon. "They woke me up, but the dog smell and the duck feathers between the covers kept me up. I swear, no one has been in here in over a year, not even a maid." She lowered herself so that she was lying down and pulled the covers up to her chin.

"But that's my bed," Riku grumbled persistently.

"It's a queen," she countered. With Riku glaring darkly at her, she turned over a few times. "Wonderful. This bed feels like someone was jumping all over it. What, did some overactive boy bring his pet dog and duck here?"

Riku snorted, "That's very likely. They probably scared off all the maids, too."

Turning over a few more times, she grumbled, "This is no use. Your arms were more comfortable than this." She blinked a few times, as if mulling her last words over, then looked at Riku evilly.

Riku cocked an eyebrow at her. "What if I don't want to hold you?"

"Then I guess it's too bad," she shot back. She ran up to him, flung her arms around his neck, and took the weight off her feet. The only way to keep both of them from toppling was to...do what she wanted.

He grunted and stumbled over to the bed, noticing that it _was_ extremely uncomfortable. Not that he would ever admit it. Besides, he had slept on worse.

Yukari laid her head on his shoulder, tickling his nose with some stray hairs. "Comfortable, are you?" Riku snarled. She didn't answer, which annoyed Riku even more. "If you're not comfortable, don't say anything." Still, she didn't say anything, so he sat up quickly, dumping her on the floor.

"Hey!" Ri squawked. "What's the big idea? I was finally comfortable." She pierced him with a death glare.

Riku slowly inhaled and exhaled through his nose. "Then why didn't you say so when I asked?"

Yukari hesitated for a split second before answering, "Did you consider the possibility that I was so comfortable that I'd already fallen asleep?" Riku averted his eyes. No, he hadn't. "I didn't think so."

"I find it hard to believe that you're _that_ tired," Riku shot back, determined to salvage some of his pride. "It's not like we got to the point of sparring back there."

Ri heaved an overly-dramatic sigh. "It's my weapon. Producing darkness takes a lot of energy."

Glancing quickly at her weapon, Riku felt his annoyance get elbowed aside by his curiosity. "I've never seen a weapon like that before."

Ri picked up her weapon and gently revolved it, examining it appreciatively. "I doubt you _would_ have seen anything like it before. Its primary function is as a high-tech hearing device; it just happens to be a functional weapon if used properly. And _I_ hate to admit it, but it intrigues me, too. I'm still experimenting with it myself." She put a slight, bitter stress on 'experimenting.'

Riku's eyebrows shot up. "Hearing device?"

"The prongs are extremely sensitive to vibrations. A computer in the hilt interprets the vibrations and sends the interpretation to the earpieces. The earpieces then turn it into what my brain interprets as sound, yahta yahta," she rattled off.

"Where did you get something like this?" asked Riku suspiciously. This hearing device was starting to sound like some top-secret government project.

"None of your business!" Yukari shot back. As Riku's frown deepened, she added, "I didn't steal it or anything if that's what you're worried about."

Even though Riku still wasn't quite convinced, he put the subject in the back of his mind for the time being. "So, how does a hearing device bring down a house?"

Yukari continued as if nothing had happened, as well, "You've noticed that it looks like a giant tuning fork?" Riku nodded. "That's because it is, really. I hit it, it vibrates, and you get sound or light, depending on the wavelength. The length of the weapon controls the wavelength and the slide valve at the top of the hilt controls the length of the weapon." She pulled the slide all the way out. "Light has the shortest wavelength." She began slowly pushing the slide in, commentating as she reached the desired positions. "Microwaves are towards the end of the electromagnetic spectrum." Glancing at Riku, she smirked, "That's the light spectrum, in case you didn't know."

"I did know that, thank you very much," Riku shot back.

"Right," she said, giving an infuriating smile that clearly said she was only humoring him. "Anyway, then you move into sound wavelengths." Here was the longest pause as her weapon continued to grow. "And at the very lowest frequency, you have darkness."

"And what does any of this have to do with making you tired?" Riku asked, purely out of a lack of understanding. He reached out a hand to help Ri back onto the bed, his way of apologizing.

He expected her to just take the invitation to sit without actually accepting his helping hand. But, she surprised him once more and took his hand, a small smile on her face. Not a smirk. Not a sneer. "A tuning fork needs energy to start vibrating, such as physically hitting it. It's the same with _giant_ tuning forks."

"Isn't that impractical in a battle setting?" Riku pondered. "Even just sustaining a vibration would require you to hit it every few seconds."

Her eyes never left his face as he talked, glimmering with an excited curiosity. "Have you ever studied physics?"

"No," Riku replied, caught off guard by the change in subject. "Why?"

"Because you understand physics quite well, at least the concepts."

Riku snorted, "No, I just remember having to hit the tuning fork every five seconds in music class just to hear anything."

Chuckling a little, Ri said, "That's physics. Energy is directly proportional to the product of the mass and the square of the velocity." She looked expectantly at him, but he only shook his head. Huffing, she explained, "You know, 'E' equals 'm' 'v'-squared?"

"I thought it was 'E' equals 'm' '_c_'-squared."

Ri rolled her eyes. "'c' is the speed of light. Technically, speed isn't the same as velocity. They both have magnitude, but velocity has direction. The equation only deals with magnitudes, though, so speed and velocity are interchangeable values. Don't worry, it's a common misconception."

Now it was Riku's turn to look at her curiously. "You've studied physics, obviously."

"You could say I dabbled in it," she vaguely answered. Riku didn't press her. "So, we come back to the energy problem –"

"– which you solved, since you weren't hitting your weapon constantly."

"Cynical, intelligent, _and_ observant," Ri marveled. "Pinch me, I'm dreaming." Riku pinched her. "Ow! I didn't mean literally, asshole." She slapped his arm.

"Careful," Riku teased, "or I'll have to wash your mouth out with some soap."

"Oh, I've never heard that one before," said Ri, rolling her eyes, before continuing. "I started playing around with magic and found that I could draw on my magical energy to sustain a vibration. Light is easy; it has a short wavelength, so it has less mass and doesn't take much energy. Now, darkness has the longest wavelength, the most mass, and takes the most energy. What I did earlier was about all I could handle."

"Have you used magic before?" asked Riku.

"No," Ri sighed. "I've never used a sword before, either. There was a book with some swordplay techniques in that house and I was trying them out when you guys showed up. I thought it would be beneficial; I've run into some of those black buggy things and they explode rather nicely when I expose them to their natural frequency, but I doubt that will work on anything much tougher." She saw Riku's question on his face before he opened his mouth. "Every object has a natural frequency at which it vibrates the most. Vibrate something too much and the molecules can't stay together. That's how I brought the house down."

Yukari stopped talking and finally looked away; she'd looked straight at his face the entire time they were talking. And...something about her commanded him to give her the same attention. Perhaps it was her curiously colored eyes. Riku kept staring at them, just trying to figure out whether they were blue or green. It was almost hypnotic.

He couldn't resist any longer. "What color are your eyes?" She kept staring off into space as if she hadn't heard him, so he gently tapped her arm. Jumping slightly, she turned back to him and he posed the question again.

Grinning, she asked, "Well, what color are they, now?"

Riku peered at her eyes. "Blue."

"Then right now they're blue," she answered, "and tomorrow they'll probably be green, and the next day some color in between. ...I just rhymed, didn't I?"

"Yeah," Riku smirked.

"Damn," Ri chuckled. "But, yeah, my eyes shift colors from blue to green. I can't even tell what color they are half of the time." She paused, and her eyes flickered away from Riku's face for a moment. "I really am sorry that I attacked you." The sudden change of topic and the sincerity in her voice caught Riku off guard. "I guess I'm a bit paranoid."

"It's alright," Riku told her gently. "You had a good reason not to trust us. We do use darkness after all."

"But you use light, too," Yukari said, a wry smile twisting her lips. "So, spill. How did you get these powers?"

"That's a long story," Riku sighed. "I'd rather not get into it now." She didn't need to know about Xehanort's Heartless yet...or Nobodies...or Organization XIII.

"Fair enough," she conceded. "Can you at least tell me about your giant keys? They look about as goofy as wielding a giant tuning fork."

"The goofier, the more powerful," Riku snorted, summoning Way to the Dawn. "This is a Keyblade, the most effective weapon against the evil side of darkness. It takes a strong heart to wield one. Most people can't even hold it."

Yukari ran a hand along the smooth metal, feeling every detail, a child-like amazement in her eyes to rival Even's. "It's warm," she whispered. Absentmindedly, her hand continued to travel down the blade until it reached the hilt. Holding her breath, she gently eased Way to the Dawn out of Riku's hand. It stayed.

"Finicky thing," she breathed.

"Very," agreed Riku. "Your heart had a moment of weakness before, so it wouldn't let you hold it. But," – Riku reached out his hand and Way to the Dawn flashed into it – "I can summon it back." He dismissed it with a swirl of light.

Yukari's lips twitched into a slight pout for a moment. "Some giant key. Roxas has two of these?"

"Right," Riku nodded. "The black one is named Oblivion and the white one is Oathkeeper. Mine's Way to the Dawn."

"Names...," Yukari murmured. She began examining her strange weapon once again.

"Does it have a name?" asked Riku.

A dark look flashed over Yukari's face. "Not one that I would consider using," she spat.

"Alright, then. A name...," Riku said, crossing his arms and tilting his head to one side while he was thinking. _I think Sora's rubbing off on me._ _I'm picking up his habits. _"I've got it! A friend told me a story about a warrior who swung his sword so hard that it literally sang through the air. He named his blade Onsaken."

Ri nearly fell off the bed as she went into a giggling fit. "Tuning fork blade?" she gasped.

"Well, a giant key is called a Keyblade, so why not call a giant tuning fork a tuning fork blade?" Riku asked. Was his suggestion really that bad?

"I know," Ri replied, still letting a few chuckles escape. "It's a very appropriate name, but that doesn't mean it can't be funny." She paused for a moment, looking pensive. "Onsaken...I like it."

Outside, a bell tolled ominously, leaving an oppressive silence in its wake.

"Did you hear that?" Riku asked urgently.

Yukari looked at him worriedly. "Hear what?"

It rang again. "There!" cried Riku. "That bell. Can't you hear it?"

"No," she replied, reaching to put the earpieces back in her ears, "but I'm sure your hearing is better than mine." The bell sounded a third time. "What a lovely 'G.'" Riku frowned at her in confusion. "The bell's pitch. I wonder who's ringing it?"

"I don't know," Riku said in a low voice, "but it didn't sound too good to me." He crept out of their room and into the hallway. Nothing seemed amiss here, so he quietly slid open the doors to the Second District and peered out. Still nothing. Summoning his Keyblade, he slowly began edging out of the doors.

"Wait," Yukari whispered, grabbing Riku's arm and dragging him back inside. Her eyes were wary, giving her that crazed, desperate look again. "I can't hear _anything_."

"That's because there's nothing here," Riku patiently explained. She was intelligent; why would silence frighten her so much?

"Yes!" she said in a strained whisper. "There's always something making noise; rats, sewer lines, the wind. But here...there's absolutely nothing. Not even a fly buzzing."

Riku was about to answer, but stopped as he noticed something glowing on the edge of his vision. Turning towards the fountain, he saw the Keyhole gleaming merrily from the wall behind it. He frowned. Sora had already sealed this Keyhole, so what was it doing here now? Did Astan have the power to unseal Keyholes? Could Riku reseal it? He had to try, at any rate. Breaking away from Yukari, he strode out the door and vaulted over the ledge to the square below.

Roxas came hopping out of his room, one foot still trying to work its way through a pant leg. "Wait!" he called as Riku approached the fountain. "There's a –"

Something big and purple crashed down in front of Riku, blocking his path to the Keyhole.

"– Heartless." Shoving his foot through, Roxas hopped down next to Riku and planted his stocking feet into a fighting stance. "Don't worry, Guard Armor's a pushover."

Naminé came bursting out of the door, a pair of shoes clutched in her hand. "Roxas, do you want your shoes?" she called.

"No," he replied. One of the feet crashed down next to Roxas, nearly smashing his toes. "On second thought, that's not a bad idea," he grimaced.

Naminé quickly slipped over the railing to the stones below. As soon as her feet hit the cobblestones, a rainbow-colored barrier rose around the square. She nervously headed towards the boys and silently handed Roxas his shoes.

"Calm down, Naminé. This battle will be cake," Roxas stated confidently. He began putting on his shoes.

Guard Armor snapped its fingers and ten Berserkers appeared inside the barrier. Halting with one shoe half-tied, Roxas gaped at the Berserkers and gulped.

"You were saying?" Riku deadpanned. He leapt at the nearest Berserker and was promptly knocked back towards the inn and into the wall.

"Are you alright?" asked Yukari from the other side of the barrier.

"Fine," Riku grunted, shakily standing. White lights danced across his vision and it felt like a ball-peen hammer was pounding on his temples.

"What am _I_ supposed to do, watch you three get pummeled to death?" she snapped out of frustration.

"Pretty much," replied Riku. He rushed at a Berserker that was aiming at the back of Roxas's head. Not expecting the attack, the Berserker dropped its claymore and Riku quickly seized it.

"Stand clear!" he shouted as the blood rushed to his head. Roxas and Naminé scurried away as Riku swung the claymore once, twice, and finished with a vicious spinning strike. The weapon vanished, its owner destroyed, and Riku landed delicately back on the ground. A hand swung at him and he rolled out of the way, then reversed direction to avoid another claymore.

"Any ideas?" Riku called.

Roxas stepped in front of Naminé as a downward slash came at her and blocked with his Keyblades. She drew herself as close to him as she could and cast Firaga around them.

"One," Roxas panted. "I hope I remember how to do it." He began gathering dark energy around Oblivion and bolts began crackling down its length. They concentrated at the tip, but stopped there. "C'mon," Roxas muttered, jiggling the handle.

"Maybe it just needs a jumpstart," Riku suggested. He mimicked Roxas, then placed Way to the Dawn's tip on Oblivion's tip. Sparks began fizzling off where the tips met, igniting when they landed and causing minor damage.

"Not what I was going for, but it works," Roxas remarked. "Let's step it up!" They put some more energy into whatever they'd come up with, which produced a volcano of massive Dark Fireballs that rained down on their opponents.

The power kept building until Riku felt that it would burst out of control. "Here it comes!"

"Dark Nova!" they shouted together. A massive explosion expanded outward, ripping through the remaining Berserkers and Guard Armor. As their Limit ended, they smirked and gave each other high-fives.

"Nice one!" Naminé smiled.

Yukari watched in awe as Riku, Roxas, and Naminé worked seamlessly together to finish off the few survivors of that incredible attack. It was mind-blowing that each of them held such power.

"What's going on?" Rikku yawned in Ri's ear. "I just woke up."

"A battle, that's what, you useless twit!" Ri bit.

Rikku placed a finger on the corner of her mouth. "Eh, heheh...oopsy."

One last slash from Way to the Dawn brought the end of Guard Armor and the end of the barrier. The torso piece clattered to the ground, lifeless. "Let's go," Yukari said, grabbing Rikku and jumping down to join the other three.

Roxas was the first to spot her. "No, go back! It has a –"

The torso rose into the air with renewed energy. Hands and feet magically regenerated, although the positions were switched this time. Another barrier flashed into existence.

"– second form." Roxas looked about as ticked as Sora got when Tidus and Wakka played monkey in the middle with Sora as the monkey. "Opposite Armor..."

"Start spitting it out faster!" Yukari called.

Rikku slipped out of Yukari's fingers. "Don't worry, guys. I'm all over this one." She pointed a finger at Opposite Armor and screamed, "Ultima!" The air around her swirled with colors as her magic began working. A small spark appeared before Opposite Armor, right in the spot that Rikku was pointing at. The spark started glowing like an ember, then died.

"Poopie," Rikku muttered. "I'm too small... I know! One of you can try it."

"Start teaching, then," said Riku, as a foot-turned-claw tried to smash them.

"Alright!" she exclaimed, bobbing in the air a bit. "It's a black magic spell, so you have to focus on turning your magic into dark energy, and a lot of it. When you have that all gathered up, just point and release."

Riku did as Rikku had instructed, gathering as much dark energy as he could with his Keyblade. When he felt that he couldn't put any more into the spell, he pointed and let the spell loose.

A spark appeared as before, but this time it didn't die. It exploded into a mass of flashing light and color that swallowed Opposite Armor, causing massive damage. The spell finished with a few, final flashes of bright, white light, leaving only the torso behind. Roxas struck the final blow, releasing the massive heart that had been held captive by the darkness.

"That was a really good spell, Rikku," Naminé remarked.

Rikku grinned broadly. "I might be a bit silly," – "A bit?" sniggered Roxas – "but I know how to kick some serious monster butt."

"What's wrong, Riku?" Yukari asked. She alone had noticed the misgivings on Riku's face.

Green-tinged wisps of darkness seeped up through the ground from where the Berserkers had been defeated. They traveled up towards the heart and began clinging greedily to it. Flames spread around it and the mass sank towards the ground, growing ever larger. The flames died away to reveal a Halfhearted that resembled Opposite Armor, although it clutched a claymore in each of its claws: Berserk Armor.

"Enough, already!" Roxas moaned as he ducked a claymore.

The other claymore came down over Riku and he quickly raised his Keyblade to block it. The claymore halted, then lost form and oozed over Riku's hands. Berserk Armor shook as if laughing, then jerked Riku into the air. He yelped a bit as he felt his shoulder pop out of its socket. Unfortunately for him, it was his right shoulder.

Naminé shot a Blizzaga spell at the former-claymore holding Riku, but Berserk Armor took the spell with the first claymore. A large chunk of it froze and broke off, but was immediately regenerated. Concentrating on her magic, Naminé didn't notice a hand-turned-foot come up behind her and grab her around the middle, trapping her arms at her side.

"Naminé!" Roxas cried, scowling as Berserk Armor shook again. In desperation, he threw his Keyblades at Berserk Armor, only to have them stick on impact.

Riku's shoulder was really starting to ache, and he could feel it slowly draining his health. "Rikku!" he gasped.

She instantly flew up to him. "I don't think I can get you down," she admitted sadly.

"That's okay," he replied. "Just get me a Potion. They're in my pocket."

Rikku perked up a bit. "I can do that!"

After a few seconds of rummaging in his pocket, she found it. The healing droplets formed over his head and Riku sighed in anticipation of the soothing effects. But, they never came; Berserk Armor absorbed the Potion before it reached Riku. He moaned softly.

Onsaken picked up every agonizing vibration of the moan and Yukari's head snapped towards Riku. His right shoulder was clearly dislocated and his breathing was heavy. He couldn't take hanging there much longer.

"Look out!" Roxas screamed. He pushed Yukari out of the way of a claymore at the expense of being captured himself.

Yukari blinked. She would never have expected something like that from Roxas. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now get me down!"

She didn't need to be told twice. Without thinking about it, she jerked the slide down as far as it would go and hit it on her heel. "Cover your eyes!" She poured all the magic she could muster into Onsaken and light exploded around her.

Berserk Armor used Roxas to shield the piece that seemed to be its head. It swung the claymore holding Riku at Yukari. Her eyes widened and she placed her feet into what she thought must have been a good fighting stance. The stance wasn't up to par, but it worked. When the claymore smashed against Onsaken, Yukari was able to hold her ground.

The resulting impact was so great that it knocked Onsaken into a new frequency and the length changed accordingly. Yukari lessened the energy input, using only enough to keep Onsaken vibrating. For a moment, both held their positions. Then the claymore began oozing over Onsaken, but didn't seem to be able to hold anything. Intuitively, she slashed through the claymore and Riku dropped to the ground, though his hands were still covered.

"Natural frequency," they both smirked.

"If energy is increased," Yukari began, "and mass remains constant, then velocity squared increases." She put all her energy into it again, pleased to hear the low hum being emitted from the prongs. A few seconds later, every part of the Halfhearted started vibrating. Each vibration grew larger and larger until the body exploded into nothingness, allowing the heart to drift away. Yukari dampened Onsaken and sank down beside Riku, breathing just as heavily.

"C'mon, Naminé. We need some healing over here!" Rikku called from Riku's left shoulder. The spell came moments later, providing some relief, though it did nothing for Riku's right shoulder.

"Your shoulder can't say like that," Yukari remarked regrettably. "Hold still." She placed one hand on his shoulder and grabbed his arm with the other. "One...two –" Intense pain flared in Riku's shoulder, worse than when it had been dislocated, and he couldn't help letting a soft scream pass his lips. "– three."

"Dammit," he whispered, grabbing a Potion out of his pocket to dull the pain in his joint.

"Is everyone alright?" Naminé asked. Everyone nodded, tired but unhurt.

"The Keyhole," Roxas reminded them.

"Right," muttered Riku. He pushed himself up and walked over to the fountain. Way to the Dawn appeared of its own accord, courteously in his left hand, and began glowing. Riku pointed it at the Keyhole and a beam of light shot out of the tip. With a loud click, the Keyhole vanished once more.

"I thought only the master could seal Keyholes," Roxas frowned.

"There are three of those, now," replied Riku.

"Does it matter as long as it's done?" Naminé pointed out.

Ri crossed her arms out of irritation. "Boy, I wish I could join in on this conversation. Too bad I have no idea what's going on."

Roxas sighed, "Look, thanks for your help and all, but this time, we really _do_ have to leave. Other places need our help and we don't have time to chat."

"You mean other worlds," Ri smirked. They all looked at her with varying degrees of surprise. "I'm not stupid. I know this isn't my world, and I know it isn't yours, either. How did you get here? Some sort of space ship?"

"Gummi ship," Riku confirmed. It was no use denying anything, not to Yukari.

"You can explain on the ship, then," she said firmly.

Roxas blinked. "What?"

"I'm going with you." No use, whatsoever.

"No," Roxas said quickly.

"You're only saying that because you don't like me," Ri bit.

"I don't think you should come, either," Naminé spoke up. "This isn't a game. It's real, and dangerous."

Yukari turned her back on Roxas and Naminé, focusing her captivating eyes on Riku instead. "I'm going with you."

He stared right back into them. "Why?"

"Because...," she faltered, "my heart is telling me to."

Riku smiled. That's what he'd needed to hear. "She's coming."

"But–"

Riku raised a hand to silence all objections. "Roxas and Naminé, you're driving this time. Rikku, try contacting Yuna again. Yukari, get comfortable. In case it hasn't been emphasized enough yet, this is a _long_ story." She looked at him slyly. "No, I won't hold you."

* * *

Ri settled into a chair in the back of the Gummi. "Is this the same long story you mentioned at the inn?" 

"Yes," Riku replied. "Don't say anything until I'm done or I might not be able to finish."

"Don't worry, I'll be good," she teased, although she looked at him curiously.

"It started about a year ago..."

"Monsters!" Rikku shrieked from the cockpit.

Riku and Yukari glanced at each other before rushing out the door. They found Rikku cowering in front of the Gummi's view screen with Roxas and Naminé looking at the screen warily. On the screen, something that looked like a dragon was fiddling with the Commsphere, trying to focus it. The dragon in the foreground became blurrier as the background became clearer, revealing a wolf-like creature sitting next to a bird-like creature. The wolf was wearing a crown pendant around its neck.


	15. Motherly Instincts

Chapter 15: Motherly Instincts

Sora watched in amusement as Riku came bursting on screen, followed by...a girl? Not only had Sora gained something to tease Riku with, but not one of the Gummi's occupants recognized Yuna, Kairi, or him. Did they really look that different?

Sora examined his reflection in a nearby hubcap. The only description that came to mind was werewolf. He was covered from head to foot in fur that was the same color as his hair. Ears were perched atop his head and a muzzle jutted out from his face. His hands and shoeless feet had gained sharp claws and a tail stuck out of his behind, through his pants. His top was bare except for his necklace. All of a sudden, Sora developed a new-found sympathy for the Beast.

Kairi looked more like a bird. Her legs were scaled and ended in talons. From the waist up, she was covered in feathers, although she still had hands. Longer, brown feathers replaced her hair and a long beak replaced her mouth. She, fortunately, was only missing her shoes from her attire.

Yuna still looked mostly like herself. The only differences were that her hair had turned green – along with her now-scaled skin – a thin tail whipped around her legs, and leathery dragon wings replaced her normal fairy ones.

The luckiest of the bunch was Jiminy. This world must have deemed his cricket-self a passable disguise, as Jiminy hadn't changed.

Yes, they looked _way_ different.

Something about the scene on the Commsphere's holographic monitor seemed odd to Sora, but he couldn't pinpoint what. Then he saw it. Riku was doing something he hadn't done in the longest time; he was biting his lip. That meant he was trying extremely hard not to laugh.

Folding his arms across his chest, Sora frowned, "Not a word, Riku."

"It talks," the girl yelped in surprise, "and it knows your name."

That proved too much for Riku. He clutched his sides as he began laughing openly. Sora bristled, both at being called 'it' and at Riku's laughter. It didn't help matters that Sora's fur actually rose, either. Roxas and Naminé began sniggering, now that they realized to whom they were talking.

"Who's your girlfriend?" Sora asked, smirking in triumph. That shut Riku up pretty quickly.

The girl glared at Sora, piercing him with her imposing, green eyes. "Say that again and I'll bust your eardrums, dog-boy." At least she'd given him a gender, this time.

"Watch it, Sora," said Riku, still chuckling a bit. "Yukari can follow through on that threat."

Rikku abruptly uncurled from her fetal position and flew up to the screen. "Yunie? Ec dryd oui?"

"Uv luinca, ed ec! Fru amca fuimt ed pa?" Yuna said, twitching her tail.

"Oui muug mega y fiend!" squealed Rikku.

Yuna's tail and wings drooped sadly, "E ghuf. Huf ra fuh'd nalukhewa sa."

"Tuh'd pa cemmo!" Rikku twittered. "Oui-ghuf-fru femm ghuf fru oui yna, hu syddan fryd oui muug mega."

"You're right," Yuna said, pumping her fist in the air. "Thanks, Rikku."

Rikku copied the action. "That's my girl."

Just then, Rikku and Yuna noticed that everyone was staring at them with raised eyebrows...if they had them, that is. "What?" Rikku and Yuna chorused.

"You have your own made-up language?" Roxas asked.

"Don't be silly!" Yuna giggled.

"It's Al-Bhed, duh," scoffed Rikku.

"Rikku taught me so that we could annoy Maleficent," Yuna grinned. "Works well on Leon, too."

Sora shook his head in amusement. "Moving on."

"You guys look ridiculous," Roxas snorted. "Where are you?"

"Not sure, yet," Kairi replied. "We just got here."

"'Monsters' isn't a bad word to describe what we are, though," said Sora, glancing down the street. Some kids were playing jump-rope on the sidewalk, using one of the kids' tongues as the jump-rope. A poor jelly blob fell through the sewer grating as he walked over it. As a shadow passed over their heads, Sora glanced upward. "A Godzilla-sized monster chicken just walked over top of us."

"That grocer with the six tentacles we passed sure was nice," Jiminy chirped, "even if the fruit he gave us was a bit strange."

Sora shrugged and began scratching an itch behind his ear.

"Sora?" Riku started, biting his lip again. "What are you doing?"

"I'm scratching an itch."

"Have you noticed which appendage you're using?" he smirked.

Holding the position he was in, Sora turned his head to find that his foot was actually doing the scratching. He shrugged – his raised leg joined in on the movement, too – and continued scratching.

"Did you forget why we called?" Naminé gently reminded them.

"Right," said Riku. He discreetly took a breath that only Sora was keen enough to see to calm himself down. "How long has it been since you left Radiant Garden?"

Sora scratched his ear again, this time out of confusion. "About two and a half days, same as you, right?"

Riku folded his arms and shook his head. "It's been less than twenty-four hours for us."

Sora and Kairi shared a look of confused apprehension. "That can't be right," Kairi muttered.

"Maybe Mickey knows something about it," Sora suggested.

"Oh!" trilled Rikku. "I'm on it." She dropped below the screen and Sora heard the clicking of someone typing. The Commsphere's screen split into two pictures. The new one crackled with static before going dark. At first, Sora thought the Commsphere had malfunctioned, but then a voice sounded from the speakers.

"Can't even go an hour without having their hands held," came Paine's sour voice.

"Gawrsh, maybe they miss us, already," Goofy's voice replied, and Sora could imagine Goofy placing a finger on his mouth. The screen rotated, and the three Disney Castle inhabitants came into view. Paine entered from the side a moment later.

"Sora has fur!" Donald quacked gleefully before laughing his ducky head off.

"And Kairi has feathers," said Goofy, placing a hand over his muzzle. "She looks kinda like Donald."

"Golly, what a world to start with," Mickey said.

Fate bless the king for getting straight to the point. "This is our second world. Two and a half days have passed for us," Sora deadpanned.

"We're en route to our second world," added Riku. "But, it's been less than a day since we left."

Donald's and Goofy's jaws dropped, their eyes bugging out comically. "Interesting," Paine mused.

Mickey, however, paled. "Oh dear."

"Do you know what's going on?" Roxas asked quickly.

"I sure hope not," quailed Mickey. "The last time something like this happened was during a war."

The air rushed out of Sora's lungs. "War?"

Mickey closed his eyes and nodded sadly. "The Keyblade War. It was during my apprenticeship with Yen Sid. I didn't have my Keyblade back then, so I didn't fight in it. My father was king back then, and he was also a Wielder. What I know about the war, I heard from him."

"How did it end?" asked Sora, his heart racing.

"I don't know," Mickey admitted. "My father died before the war ended."

"Oh," Sora said stupidly. "I'm sorry..."

"Is Astan starting this war up again?" Riku asked, tactfully getting the conversation back on track.

"Yes." Everyone stared at Sora; they had obviously expected Mickey to answer. "That's what Westley – he was turned into a Restless – told me. It was only his guess at the time, but I'm sure he was right. We're working on putting that in the Commspheres."

"Where are all these Wielders coming from?" Naminé wondered.

"There used to be tons more –" said Mickey.

"– at least one Wielder to every four worlds –" Sora said.

"– but most of them were killed in the war," they finished together.

"_What?_"

"Wielders from all over used to come visit my father," Mickey said, smiling wistfully. "There was a Keyblade Wielding couple that used to visit quite often. You couldn't help but like those two. Last time I saw them, they were going to have a baby. That was right before the castle was destroyed and my father was killed protecting his subjects – the castle was only rebuilt about sixteen years ago, you know. I wonder what ever happened to them. I'd really like to know how their kid turned out. With parents like those, that kid would probably be one heck of a Wielder." He shook his head, as if dislodging his recollections. "We need to hurry. Rikku! Yuna! Jiminy!" – Each snapped to attention as their name was called. – "Get cracking on those journal entries."

"Yes, sir!"

"Good luck, everyone," Mickey said before his side of the screen went blank. Riku waved once before his side went blank, too. Snatching up the Commsphere, Yuna and Jiminy set to work, retreating into Kairi's hip pouch.

Sora and Kairi began walking down the street. As they passed an electronics store, they heard a catchy jingle and stopped to watch the commercial on the display TV's. Even Yuna and Jiminy poked their heads out to watch.

"The future is bright at Monsters, Incorporated," a cheery announcer said. "We're part of your life. We power your car. We warm your home. We light your city." Two pictures appeared on the screen, one of a young boy, the other scrolling through various pictures of monsters. "Carefully matching every child to their ideal monster to produce superior scream..." A monster was selected and it roared, causing the boy to shriek in fright "...refined into clean, dependable energy. Every time you turn something on, Monsters, Incorporated is there.

"We know the challenge – the window of innocence is shrinking. Human kids are harder to scare."

A fat, ugly monster with five eyes who loosely resembled a crab appeared on screen, along with the title 'Henry J. Waternoose, CEO,' and began speaking, "Of course, M. I. is prepared for the future with the top scarers..." The screen shifted to show a large, blue-and-purple furred monster with horns opening a door in some sort of factory. The door was only on a frame and didn't appear to lead anywhere, but the monster roared and a child screamed. "...the best refineries, and research into new energy techniques."

The furred monster appeared on screen again, along with a ball-shaped, lime green monster. However, most of the green monster was covered by a logo; only its spindly appendages showed. "We're working for a better tomorrow...today!" the furred monster said.

"We're M. I., Monsters, Incorporated," came the CEO's voice. "We scare because we care." The screen faded to black as the commercial ended.

"That's horrible!" Kairi squawked, puffing up her feathers angrily. "Scaring little kids just to get power. They should be...I don't know...making them laugh, instead."

"It's probably just the way this world works," Jiminy shrugged, "and I doubt it will change anytime soon."

"Hmph," grunted Kairi. "We'll see about that." She headed towards the downtown area, where M. I. was most likely to be.

"Oh no, you don't," Sora said, grabbing Kairi's arm and forcing her in the opposite direction. "Something tells me that would definitely be meddling."

"Fine," she snarled and began stalking down the sidewalk, away from downtown. Sora noted that stalking was actually an appropriate way to move; the pedestrian crossing signals all said 'stalk' instead of 'walk.'

As they passed a newspaper stand bearing headlines such as 'Scream Shortage Looms' and 'Rolling Blackouts Expected,' they heard an annoyed voice say, "Hey, genius, you want to know why I brought the car?"

"Not really," answered a more familiar voice in tones of complete unconcern.

"To drive it! You know, like, on the street? With the honk-honk and the vroom-vroom and no walking involved."

"Wah, wah, wah. Give it a rest, will you, butterball?" This time, Sora was able to place the voice. It was the furred monster from the M. I. commercial. It sounded like he and his companion were just around the corner. Quickly, he tried to grab Kairi before she turned, but wasn't quite fast enough. Kairi took one look at the speakers and stopped, livid.

"And what about those weird things, hm? What if they attack us? We run and they run faster. Now, if we were in a car...," Sora caught a glimpse of the speaker. It was the green monster from the commercial, the one that was covered up. Without the logo, one big eye and one bigger mouth were visible.

"Don't be ridiculous, Mike. Nothing's going to –"

"Shhhh," Mike hissed. "Don't jinx it, Sulley."

Both monsters froze as Neoshadows appeared around them. Mike screamed and jumped into Sulley's arm. Dropping onto all fours, Sora sprinted past Kairi toward the Heartless.

A Neoshadow leapt at Sulley, but the huge, blue monster pulverized it with one, well-aimed punch. Another jumped at him, and Sora used his powerful hind legs to take a flying leap at the Heartless. Sora's claws raked through the Neoshadow, defeating it without the help of the Keyblade.

Sailing past the battle, Sora landed on all fours and used his claws to pivot himself around, just like Nala had taught him. This time, Sora stood up straight and summoned his Keyblade. Together, he and Sulley finished off the Heartless...with minimal help from Kairi in the form of Curaga.

Mike peered out from behind a trash can. Deciding that the coast was clear, he scampered over to Sulley. "I told you. I _told_ you."

"Relax, Mike," Sulley said, rolling his eyes. "Nothing happened."

"Only because _they_ showed up," retorted Mike, waving his arms at Sora and Kairi.

"It was nothing. Defeating those things is what we do," Sora said, grinning and scratching his head – this time, with a hand. Kairi snorted angrily. "I'm Sora." He offered his hand.

"Sulley."

"Mike."

Yuna flew up out of Kairi's pocket. "Hey, I'm Yuna. Say cheese!" She took a picture of them for the journal.

"Nice work, Yuna," Jiminy complimented, then waved at Mike and Sulley. "Cricket's the name, Jiminy Cricket. If you'll excuse us, we're extremely busy at the moment."

"Don't worry about us," Yuna said. "We're nothing worth mentioning." She winked, then disappeared with Jiminy back into Kairi's hip pouch.

Sulley offered his hand to Kairi next, but she just sniffed at it.

"Kairi!" Sora scolded.

"I don't like anyone who scares children," she snapped.

"And yet you use the energy those same people are kind enough to provide," Mike said, shaking his head.

"I do not!" squawked Kairi. "I use electricity."

Mike looked at her like she was insane. "I don't know what fairy-tale world you live in," – Sora inhaled sharply – "but here, our options are scream or nothing."

"I just do what I can to help others, miss," Sulley said, raising a hand in his defense.

Try as she might, Kairi could not stay angry, at least not at Sulley. "I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't shoot the messenger, so to speak." Her demeanor visibly brightened. "Let's start over. I'm Kairi." She shook hands with Sulley and Mike, though Mike did so reluctantly.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you," Sulley began, "but we have to get to work." He continued walking.

At first, Mike didn't move, preferring to stand pensively for a moment. Then, he hopped up and ran over to Sulley. "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! We should take them with us, to the factory. You know, in case those things," – "Heartless." – "whatever, show up again."

Letting his mouth hang open a moment, Sulley mused, "That's a great idea, for once." Sulley grinned as Mike spluttered angrily. Their obvious best-friendship brought a smile to Sora's face, and also painfully reminded him of Riku's absence. At least they had the Commspheres. "I'm sure Mr. Waternoose would be thrilled. What do you say?"

"Sure," said Sora, before Kairi could object. She just didn't understand; the way to get to the root of a world's problem was to help whoever needed it.

* * *

Monsters, Incorporated wasn't big...it was absolutely enormous! Just the lobby was bigger than even the ballroom in Beast's Castle. All sorts of monsters were walking this way and that, half of them wearing hard hats and half not. All of them knew Sulley and Mike, though.

Mike headed straight to the receptionist's desk. The receptionist was a pretty, purple-skinned monster with purple snakes for hair. She had one eye, as well, and wore a bright green dress.

"Oh, Schmoopsie-poo," Mike called.

The receptionist immediately stopped taking phone calls. "Googley Bear!"

Sora and Kairi glanced awkwardly at each other. "No pet names," Kairi grimaced.

"You read my mind," Sora replied.

"Happy birthday," Mike told 'Schmoopsie-poo.'

'Schmoopsie-poo' nearly melted on the spot. "Oh, Googley-woogley, you remembered!" Then she noticed the other three standing awkwardly. "Hey, Sulley-wulley. Who are you friends?"

"Oh, hey, Celia...welia," Sulley tried. "This is Sora and Kairi." – "Hey." "Happy birthday!" – "They're here to help with our Heartless problem."

"Heartless?" Celia asked.

"Those creepy, black things," explained Mike, "like the ones that attacked us on our way to work." The last bit was clearly supposed to impress her. It did.

"Googley!" she gasped, then began stroking him, "I bet you fought them all by yourself."

He grinned, "Well, I had a _little_ help." Sulley and Sora rolled their eyes, but let it go.

Celia smiled, then looked away. "So, uh...are we going anywhere special tonight?" she asked, not too nonchalantly.

"I just got us into a little place called, um..." he paused, obviously relishing the suspense, "Harryhausen's."

Celia made a big show of gasping; even the snakes squeaked in surprise. "_Harryhausen's?_ But it's impossible to get a reservation there!"

"Not for Googley Bear," Mike said suavely. "I will see you at quitting time and not a minute later."

"Okay, sweetheart."

"Think romantical thoughts," Mike said, backing away. Then, he sang in a lovely opera tone, "You and me. Me and you. Both of us together!"

* * *

Later, in the men's locker room, – Kairi was taken to the women's locker room by a monster named Betty – Mike said, "You know, pal, she's the one. That's it. She is the one."

"I'm happy for you," Sulley replied, clearly only humoring Mike.

"Geez, Sulley," Sora chuckled, "you need to find yourself a girlfriend. You wouldn't know love if it stepped on your tail."

"I'll been telling him that for _years_," Mike told Sora. "But thanks for hooking me up with those reservations, big guy."

"Oh, no problem," Sulley said. "They're under the name Googley Bear."

Sora pulled a Goofy and grabbed his muzzle to keep from laughing.

"You know," Mike deadpanned, "that wasn't very funny." He gasped as his locker door slammed shut. He opened it again, only to have it shut again. Sora's fur stood on end and a strange smell filled his nostrils; something wasn't right here.

Summoning his Keyblade, Sora brought it down next to Mike and wasn't too surprised when it connected with something invisible. "Ow!" the something cried. The something's skin shifted colors until a purple, chameleon-like monster appeared. "Hey! What's the big idea?"

"Randall!" Mike snarled, jumping towards Sulley. "Serves you right for sneaking up on me like that."

"Hey, Randall, save it for the scare floor will you?" Sulley bit.

Randall jumped on a bench. "I'm in the zone today, Sullivan." Sora snorted as Randall went into that ridiculous crane pose. "Going to be doing some serious scaring. Putting up some big numbers."

"Wow, Randall. That's great. That should make it even more humiliating when we break the record first," Mike challenged.

"Shh, shh, shh, shh," shushed Randall. "Do you hear that?" Sora couldn't hear anything. Since his wolf-like hearing was probably better than Randall's, Sora doubted there was really anything to hear. "It's the winds of change." Randall scampered away.

"'You hear it?'" Mike mocked. "'You hear the winds of ch...?' What a creep. One of these days, I am really...going to let you two teach that guy a lesson. Come on, Sora, we need to go."

* * *

Mike and Sora met up with Kairi outside the locker rooms and went to pick up the day's assignments.

"What was that record you mentioned earlier?" Sora asked.

Mike's jaw dropped. "Don't tell me you don't know about the scare record!"

"Scare record?" repeated Kairi.

"Yeesh! You haven't been living in a fairy-tale world, you've been living under a rock," Mike said. "_Everyone _knows about the all-time scare record. We're in the lead, right now, with Randall on our tails. One of us – and by 'one of us,' I mean Sulley and me – is going to break it any day now."

"Randall, huh?" Sora muttered, folding his arms.

"Who's Randall?" asked Kairi.

"He's this creepy, purple chameleon-guy. A real jerk, too," Sora replied, getting an appraising smile from Mike. "I hope he doesn't win." This caused Mike's smile to stretch from ear to ear, which is saying something with Mike.

Mike sidled up to a small office window and spoke to the secretary, "Good morning, Roz, my succulent little garden snail." Sora nearly gagged at Mike's attempt to sweet talk this 'Roz.' "And who would we be scaring today?" Mike made to grab a stack of file folders, but the secretary slapped a hand on top of it.

"Wasowski, you didn't file your paperwork last night," wheezed the ugliest thing Sora had ever seen. Roz had wrinkled, puke-green skin and tarnished-silver hair that stuck up perfectly straight. She wore cat-glasses, magenta lipstick, and a knit, maroon sweater. Her monotone voice didn't help matters, either.

"Oh, that darn paperwork," Mike said in mock exasperation. "Wouldn't it be easier if it all just blew away?"

Roz leaned forward ominously. "Don't let it happen again."

"Yes, well, uh...I'll try to be less careless," quavered Mike, quickly extracting the folders.

"I'm watching you, Wasowski. Always watching."

"Woo! She's nuts," Mike muttered.

"No kidding."

They walked into a large room with a row of identical stations consisting of a cubicle type area and some sort of metal frame across from it. "This way, guys," Mike instructed. "Oh! And you'll need these." Mike handed them blue hard hats with the M. I. logo on them, as well as placing his own on his head.

"All scare floors are now active," Celia's voice echoed over the P. A. system. "Assistants and security, please report to your stations."

"Um are we 'security?'" Sora asked.

Mike waved a hand lazily. "Probably. You can just hang out at our station for now and I'll tell you how things work." He grabbed a large, yellow container off a rack on the wall. "This is a scream canister. This is what we collect scream in." He attached the canister onto the right side of the metal frame.

Next, he took a card out of one of the folders that Roz had 'given' him. "This is a card key. There's a door in this factory for every kid's closet and a card key for every door. You swipe this card key..." He swiped the card on the left side, which also had some buttons and a display. Numbers appeared on the display after swiping the card. "...and you get the corresponding door."

A door came flying in on a conveyor belt overhead. A metal clamp rose to grab the door and bring it into the metal frame. The frame closed about the door, creating an air-tight seal.

"When the red light up top turns on, this door will lead to a kid's room. Sulley goes in, scares the kid, comes back out and rinse, lather, repeat." Mike's face soured. "Then the paper work. Bleck!"

"Okay, people, eastern seaboard coming on-line," the supervisor boomed. Metal doors began closing over the windows. "We got scarers coming out!"

The assistants moved to stand solemnly next to their doors. "Pst!" Mike whispered. "It's protocol. Get over here!" Sora and Kairi went to stand next to Mike.

The scarers entered the scare floor in olympic-like glory. Each moved to stand in their respective cubicles. As one, they turned to face the doors and the assistants moved forward. The scarers made various preparations, putting in teeth or blowing up spikes.

A score board with scaring totals appeared on a large monitor, Sulley at the top and Randall underneath.

Sulley turned to Randall in the neighboring station and offered his hand. "Hey...may the best monster win." Now, if _that_ wasn't good sportsmanship, Sora didn't know what was.

Randall glanced at the hand and sniffed, "I plan to." If that wasn't _bad_ sportsmanship...

A bell rang and the supervisor began a countdown on his seven-fingered hand. "We are on in seven...six...five...four...three...two..." He mouthed "one" and a loud siren blared. The red lights turned on and the scarers jumped into action.

"Good luck, Sulley!" Sora called.

"You're the boss. You're the boss. You're the big hairy boss," encouraged Mike, sounding uncannily like a sports coach.

Sulley closed the door behind him. After a moment of silence, they heard a child scream. Kairi sighed sadly, but smiled when Sora nuzzled her cheek with his nose.

"Sora!" she giggled. "That's _cold_!"

Practically bouncing out the door, Sulley announced, "Oh, I'm feeling good today, Mikey!" They watched as Sulley's numbers rose.

"Woah! Attaboy. Attaboy," Mike praised. "Another door coming right up."

The morning continued in the same manner. That is, until a blue, clawed monster burst through his door, looking like, well..., a monster had come out of his closet. Loud music with heavy bass came through, even with the door closed.

"What happened?" the assistant asked concernedly.

"The kid almost touched me," the monster whimpered. "She got this close to me!" He pinched his claws until they were almost touching.

"She wasn't scared of you?" blurted the assistant. "She was only six!"

The monster's whimpering escalated into wailing. "I could've been dead! I could've died!"

The assistant slapped him. "Keep it together, man." Whistling, the assistant called, "Hey! We got a dead door over here!"

Two eager teenagers – at least, that's how it seemed – brought over a machine that looked like a wood chipper. They put an 'x' of caution tape over the door and stuck it in the machine.

"The door shredder," Mike breathed. So, in essence, it_ was_ a wood chipper.

"I don't understand," frowned Kairi. "What was that about?"

"In the words of old Waternoose, 'There is nothing more toxic or deadly than a human child. A single touch could kill you!'" Mike replied grimly.

Kairi just stood there with her mouth open. Slowly, anger began flushing her face. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" she exploded. All heads swivelled towards her, including the newly arrived CEO's.

"Eh..heh heh," Sora laughed nervously. "Mike's just practicing for a date tonight. Obviously, it's not going too well." Everyone shrugged and turned back to their work as Sora sagged in relief.

Randall smirked at the poor clawed monster, who was still whimpering. "I'll show the babies how scaring is _really _done."

Sora watched as Randall's assistant reverently held the door for Randall. The obnoxious show-off strode toward the door confidently. Ever so subtly, Sora summoned his Keyblade and tripped Randall with it. It happened in the blink of an eye, not long enough for anyone to catch a glimpse of the blade. Randall rolled through the door and a crash followed.

When Randall came back out, he immediately rounded on Sora. "You tripped me," he growled, "with your sword thing."

"I saw the whole thing, Randall," a five-eyed assistant said. "Unless he has a magic sword that can appear and disappear at will, he didn't touch you."

Sora just grinned in triumph. "You heard the monster."

The victory was short-lived, though. After Randall's next door, he took the lead...briefly. Sulley came back with a slumber party. Sora and Kairi even had to help Mike with that one; they ended up filling seven canisters!

These weren't even the _most _eventful things that happened. Not by a long shot. The most eventful thing started with poor George Sanderson.

Right after the slumber party, the CEO came to congratulate Sulley. "Well, James, that was an impressive display!"

"Oh, just doing my job, Mr. Waternoose," Sulley replied modestly. "Of course, I did learn from the best." Sora cleared his throat. "Oh, right!" Sulley brought Sora and Kairi forward. "This is Sora and Kairi. They've agreed to look into the Heartless problem for us."

"Heartless problem?" Waternoose said, startled. Then, he laughed. "Don't be silly, James. We don't have a Heartless problem."

Sora heartily disagreed. There was a problem here, alright, even if Waternoose was too stubborn to see it. Now, an excuse to stay... "Why don't we stick around anyway? I'm sure we can find something to do. And..." Sora dropped his voice to a stage whisper, "we don't need wages." The magic words.

Waternoose mulled this over. "Well, alright, why not?"

"Hey, Wasowski, nice job!" an assistant called over to Mike. "Those numbers are pretty sweet."

"Are they?" asked Mike, the picture of modesty – a counterfeit Monet picture. "You know, I hadn't even noticed. And...uh, how is Georgie doing?"

"He's doing great!" the assistant beamed. "I love working with that big guy."

The aforementioned big guy backed out the door, a definite bounce in his step. "Keep the doors coming, Charlie. I'm on a roll today." George looked like some kind of creature from a kid's show. He was large, with orange and yellow fur and a horn on his forehead.

"George and I are like brothers," Charlie gushed. George turned away, revealing a sock on his back. Ah, the glory of static cling, the magic-less Thundaga. Charlie gasped, pointed at the sock, and yelled at the top of his lungs, "23-19! We have a 23-19!"

The supervisor gasped and ran towards the wall. He practically threw himself at a red emergency button. Alarms blared and the metal doors over the windows snapped open. George appeared on the monitor.

"Is that our cue?" Yuna asked, peeping out of Kairi's pouch. Kairi shushed her and discretely shoved Yuna out of sight.

"George Sanderson," a voice said on the P. A. system, "please remain motionless. Prepare for decontamination." Poor George saw the sock on the screen and panicked.

"Duck and cover, people!"

Monsters of all shapes, sizes, and appendage-number in bright yellow suits rappelled through the windows.

"Oh, not the CDA!" Waternoose moaned.

The CDA, or Child Detection Agency according to the equipment, surrounded George and jumped on him, bringing him to the ground. One used a heavy, metal tool to carefully pull the sock off and ran it to a clear spot of ground. A chrome dome was placed over it and bolted to the ground. One CDA member pressed a detonation button and everyone covered their faces. They needn't have though; the explosion was barely visible and even Sora's ears strained to hear it.

"Come on," Sora whined. "_I_ can make a better explosion than that."

The weak explosion got the job done, though; they removed the dome to reveal sock-charcoal that was soon vacuumed up.

"All clear. Situation is niner-niner-zero. Ready for decon."

"Thanks, guys, that was a close one," George sighed.

The CDA raised a shower curtain around George. There was some buzzing, some whimpering, and a few cries. Then a shower head popped out and briefly sprayed water. The curtain came down to reveal George standing completely shaved – and considerably smaller in size without his fur – with a medical cone around his neck. So much for being brothers...

"Okay, people. Take a break," said the supervisor. "We got to shut down for a half-hour and reset the system."

"An entire scare floor out of commission," Waternoose grumbled. "What else can go wrong?" He headed for the break table, with Sora and Sulley trailing behind him.

"Oh," Waternoose lamented as he dispensed a cup of...something, "what a day."

"We're just going through a rough time, sir," Sulley said consolingly. "Everyone knows you're going to get us through it."

"Tell that to the board of directors," Waternoose muttered. Sora suddenly felt a stab of pity for the monster. "James, Sora," – he looked at each in turn – "this company has been in my family for three generations. I would do _anything _to keep it from going under."

Sora could identify with Waternoose. He felt the same way whenever he stepped foot onto a world that was threatened by darkness. Sora was slowly beginning to realize that he really wasn't much different than anyone else; he just had a big, shiny key to wave around.

"Oh, so would I, sir," murmured Sulley.

"I would, too," Sora offered.

Waternoose looked at Sora in surprise. "You would?"

"I may be new to the whole scaring business, but I know what it's like to put your whole heart in something," Sora replied fervently.

"Yes, I've definitely put my whole heart into this company," Waternoose said with a strange gleam in his eye. "In that case, I need your help with something."

"Anything, sir," said Sulley.

"You see, we've hired some new scare recruits and frankly, they're...they're, um...uh...," Waternoose faltered, fishing for an appropriate word.

"Inexperienced?" Sulley tried.

Waternoose gave up. "Oh, they stink! Not only are they as scary as a wet noodle, they're still too scared of children. And I thought maybe you two might come by tomorrow. Sulley could give a scare demonstration and Sora could teach them some self-defense."

"No problem," Sora grinned, hooking his paws behind his head.

Sulley grinned excitedly. "I'll start out with the old Waternoose jump-and-growl." Sulley went ahead and demonstrated the move right there. Sora didn't think it was too frightening – then again, hardly anything scared him anymore – but Waternoose jumped and his drink went flying over his shoulder.

"Ha! Oh, ho, yes," Waternoose chuckled, grabbing Sulley around the shoulders. "Now, that's my boy!" Sora suppressed a snort as Sulley grinned like a little teacher's pet.

* * *

A bell rang, signaling the end of the work day.

"Let's go everybody," the supervisor called. "All doors must be returned! No exceptions!"

"Woo," Mike whooped, looking over his reports, "I've never seen anything like you today, Sulley!"

"Yeah, even _I_ could tell you were on a roll," Sora said.

Kairi managed to half-smile. "Just think of all the energy that will create."

Sulley chuckled happily. "Another day like this and that scare record's in the bag."

"That's right, baby," Mike beamed, tossing the reports on his desk.

As they headed for the locker rooms, Kairi scowled. "Why must guys be so competitive all the time?"

Sora winced at the unintentional slight. "I don't know. Can't say I enjoy it all the time, though." Maybe...if he hadn't been so competitive with Riku...

"Not you, too!" Kairi squawked. "Riku sulking is bad enough."

Sora drudged a grin up to his face. "You're right. I've been telling Riku to stop beating himself up about this. Maybe I should start listening to my own advice."

Kairi smiled and pecked him on the cheek, then went to the woman's locker room. Sora followed Mike and Sully into the men's.

"So get this," Mike bragged excitedly, "as if dinner wasn't enough, I'm taking her to a monster truck rally afterwards."

"Nice," Sora and Sulley said approvingly.

"What's on your agenda?" asked Mike.

"I'm going to head home and workout some more," Sulley replied.

Sora's jaw dropped incredulously. "No, Kairi and I are taking you out and we will find you a girl."

"At least Sora knows there's more to life than scaring," Mike asserted. "So what do you and Kairi do for romantic dates?"

The corner of Sora's lip twitched in wry amusement. "Well, we've...toured an ancient castle...gone moon-gazing...gone sailing...and we go to the beach, a lot."

"There you go."

They left the locker room to find Kairi waiting for them.

"You know, I am so romantic sometimes I think I should just marry myself," Mike mused.

"Give me a break, Mike," Sulley said, rolling his eyes. "Personally, I think Sora's more romantic than you." Suddenly, Sora discovered a new-found appreciation for the fur covering his face. "Castles, moon-gazing, sailing, and beaches sound like much better dates than a monster truck rally."

Kairi looked briefly confused, then caught on. "You forgot poker," she giggled, grinning naughtily. More fur appreciation.

"I have pictures," came Yuna's muffled voice.

"_What?_" Sora and Kairi screeched together. They both reached for the hip pouch, but Yuna burst out of it, Commsphere in hand, and flew out of their reach.

"Get back here!" Sora snarled.

"No way!" Yuna giggled. She flippantly began searching for the pictures, then gasped in dismay. "They're gone!"

"I deleted them when Yuna wasn't looking," Jiminy whispered so that only Sora and Kairi could hear.

"Thanks," they whispered back.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Mike said, waving everything away. He sighed dreamily and his gaze slid out of focus. "What a night of romance I got ahead of me. Tonight is about me and Celia." The way Mike said 'Celia,' Sora thought Mike might have an orgasm right there. "Ooh, the love boat is about to set sail." He imitated the horn.

"We should get tickets sometime," Kairi whispered in Sora's ear. He grinned and nibbled playfully on one of her ears.

"I gotta tell you," Mike continued, "that face of hers, it just makes my heart go..." He placed his hands on his heart and swooned, only to come face to face with Roz. "Yikes!"

"Hello, Wazowski," she droned. "Fun-filled evening planned for tonight?"

"Well, as a matter of fact –"

"Then I'm sure you filed your paperwork correctly...for once," she wheezed. Mike made a strangled sound, his eye wide. "Your stunned silence is very reassuring." She oozed away.

"Oh, no," Mike cried. "My scare reports! I left them on my desk and if I'm not at the restaurant in five minutes, they're going to give our table away! What am I going to tell..." Celia appeared at his side. "Schmoopsie-poo."

She pinched his cheek. "Hey, Googley Bear. Want to get going?"

"Do I ever! It's just that...," Mike struggled on valiantly, "uh, you know, there's a small..."

"It's just that _we_ forgot about some paperwork we were supposed to file," Sulley saved, elbowing Sora and Kairi, who nodded. "Mike was reminding us. Thanks, buddy." Riku would do something like that...

"I was?" Mike asked, startled. "I mean, I was! Yeah, I was."

"Oh, okay," said Celia. "Let's go then."

"We're going," he called to Celia, then instructed in a hurried whisper, "On my desk. The pink copies go to Accounting, the fuchsia ones go to Purchasing, and the goldenrod ones go to Roz." Mike gasped as Celia pulled him away, but he struggled back for one more instruction. "Leave the puce."

They headed off towards Mike's desk, back on the scare floor.

"Pink copies go to Accounting, the fuchsia ones go to Roz," Sulley recited.

"No, fuchsia ones go to _Purchasing_," Kairi corrected. "The _goldenrod_ ones go to Roz."

"Anyone know what puce is?" asked Sora. Sulley and Kairi shook their heads.

Sulley reached the desk first and picked up the reports. There was a pink copy, a fuchsia copy, a goldenrod copy, and a brownish-purple copy that looked like the color of a squashed flea. "Oh, that's puce."

Something in the shadows caught Sora's eye. No, _a _Shadow. Sora barely had to poke the thing with his Keyblade to defeat it. "What's a lone Shadow doing here?" he muttered.

"Look," Kairi breathed.

Sora turned around to find an active door. It was white with some pastel pink flowers on it.

"Uh, hello?" called Sulley to the seemingly empty room. "Anyone? There's a door here." He went over to the panel of buttons and hovered his claw over it. He shrugged and opened the door.

The child, had it been in the room, might have laughed as a bird, a wolf, and a blue furball peeked their heads out from the closet. But, the room was as empty as the scare floor.

"Hello?" Sulley whispered. "Hey. Anybody scaring in here?" They shrugged and closed the door, again.

Thump. They all tensed. Thump. They looked around. Thump. They turned around to find a small girl with black pigtails lifting and dropping Sulley's tail. The girl looked up at them and cooed some gibberish.

Sulley panicked. "How sweet," Kairi cooed back. Sora tried to keep Kairi away from the girl. The girl chased Sulley's tail.

"Sora, stop it!"

"A date at the ER does _not_ sound romantic, Kairi."

The girl, giving up on Sulley's tail, latched onto Sora's tail instead. "Gotcha!" she squealed happily.

"Yah!" Sora yelped.

"Hold still!" Sulley yelled. He picked up some metal pinchers and grabbed the back of the girl's shirt. After a brief tug-of-war, the girl let go and Sulley placed her back in her room, closing the door behind him.

Sulley turned around, only to see the girl again. Man, she was fast! Sulley grabbed the girl, squealing in delight, and rushed her all the way back to her bed. On his way out, though, Sulley ran into a mobile, squished a toy, and slipped on something wheeled. He came flying out the door wearing the mobile and a blanket on his head, and a string of ducks on his tail.

Another Shadow dashed out from under a desk towards a figure on the other side of a transparent wall. Sora quickly got rid of it with a Thundaga and the three of them ran in the other direction, the line of ducks quacking all the way.

Sulley rushed to a bathroom stall in the locker room and frantically tried to flush everything down the toilet, but let out a strangled cry when the toilet clogged. Grabbing the toys, Sora hurried to the lockers and shoved everything into an open locker. As the last duck was stuffed in, Sora and Sulley sagged in relief.

"The last thing we want is the CDA after us," Sulley panted.

"It still seems to me like you're both a bit paranoid," Kairi remarked.

"Let's just get out of here," said Sora.

They headed out. But, little did they know that Sulley had picked up a hitchhiker. As Sulley walked past a mirror, he was horrified to see the little girl clinging to his back. She jumped down and chased them into a corner.

"Kitty!" she cried, reaching her small hands towards Sulley.

Sulley cowered against the row of lockers. "No, no...stay back."

Sora jumped in front of the kid and summoned his Keyblade.

"Doggy!" she babbled happily.

"Don't hurt her," Kairi cried desperately.

"Don't worry, Kairi," murmured Sora. "I'm just going to make sure she doesn't touch us."

"Kaiwi!" the cute, little thing squealed, clapping in delight. "Kaiwi, Kaiwi!"

"Aw, how sweet!" cooed Kairi. "She's trying to say my name."

"Yes, sweet, but what do we do now?" Sora asked.

Sulley looked around and spotted an M. I. Duffle bag. He grabbed it and scooped the girl up in it. "Let's go!"

They headed back to the scare floor where the girl's door was thankfully still active. Unfortunately, a trail mix of low-level Heartless blocked their path. Sulley skidded to a halt, the bag swinging in his slack grasp. The wild ride caused the girl to start giggling again. Every Heartless turned towards the source of the sound and surged forward.

"You leave that sweet little girl alone!" Kairi growled, placing a hand over her heart. Light grew there and she closed her fist around it, as if trying to master it. A Heartless jumped at her and she backhanded the air in front of her. Each and every Heartless immediately vanished.

Staggering, Kairi gripped Sora's arm and leaned heavily against him. "Where did that come from?" Sora spluttered.

"I'm not a Princess of Heart for nothing," Kairi panted, giving a tired, but smug, smirk. "And there's no way I'd let them hurt her." She sighed wearily, "Didn't realize it would take so much, though."

Sora shook his head, marveling at his Princess. "Now that's what I call motherly instincts." He gave her a quick squeeze.

"Let's go," Sulley hissed, brushing past them. They ran after him, Sora supporting most of Kairi's weight.

Sulley was about to open the door when the knob began jiggling. Gasping, he dived behind the door. Sora and Kairi barely managed to duck under a desk before Randall came out the door. They pressed themselves as far back into the shadows as they could go.

Randall pressed a button on the console, sending the girl's door back to the storage area. Kairi inhaled sharply; now they couldn't send the girl back. Sora inhaled sharply, too, but for a different reason; Sulley was exposed! Luckily, Randall's back was to Sulley, but if Randall turned around, game over. Can't try again.

The girl poked a hand out of the bag and squealed a bit. Randall froze – as did Sulley, Sora, and Kairi – then sneezed and continued on. As the last sounds of Randall died away, the three sagged in relief.

"Come on," Sulley whispered. "Mike will know what to do."

* * *

"How much longer, Sulley?" Sora said breathlessly.

"Just a few more blocks," Sulley called back.

Sora glanced at Kairi. "Good." They had been running the whole time, leaving Kairi with no time to recover. She barely managed to keep up, even with Sora half-dragging her.

A bone-chilling howl made them all stop. Sora drew Kairi close to him, more for himself than for her. A rank smell drifted into his nostrils and he heard padded footfalls on the street behind him, as well as some sniffing sounds. Two, gleaming Heartless eyes grew in the shadows.

The Heartless barked and leapt at them in a purple blur. Sora quickly stepped up and met the Heartless, throwing his Keyblade in front of him. Saliva-covered teeth clamped down on the shaft and curved, green claws dug into Sora's chest. Kairi walloped it across the Emblem on its back. Yelping, the wolf-hound-like Heartless detached itself from Sora, its purple fur bristling.

"It looks like some kind of Heartless Hound," Jiminy remarked.

Another one appeared in front of them and charged Sulley. At the last second, Sulley side-stepped, grabbing the Heartless Hound's tail. Sulley swung the hapless canine into its companion, KO-ing them both.

"You don't think they were tracking us, do you?" Sulley asked fearfully.

"I bet they were after the girl," Kairi moaned.

Sora began tracing comforting circles on Kairi's back. "The Heartless don't go after small kids; too much light in their hearts."

"They were definitely after something, though," Yuna pointed out.

"This might sound crazy," Sulley began, "but could Randall have anything to do with this?"

Sora placed a hand on his chin, then placed that elbow on his other hand. "You know? He probably does. I'll bet he's the one who drew the Heartless here in the first place. He's become so obsessed with beating you that he opened his heart to darkness."

"You mean Randall is working with those things just to beat me?" Sulley clarified. "I know Randall isn't one of the greatest guys, but do you really think anyone would be that desperate?"

"Yes," Sora mumbled. Thankfully, Sulley knew to stop the conversation there.

"Hey, wait a minute!" cried Yuna, breaking the silence. "Don't dogs travel in packs?"

More howls echoed around them.

"Run!" Sulley screamed.

Sora tossed Kairi onto his back, piggy-back style. "Hold on!" Kairi comfortably wrapped her arms around Sora's chest and rested her chin in the crook between his shoulder and neck. Suddenly, Sora found it very hard to concentrate on running.

A Hound ran up on their right and snapped at Sora's leg. He kicked it, did a funny, shuffling step to regain his balance, and picked up speed. More Hounds joined the chase. Kairi let go with one hand, doing her best to cast spells while on Sora's back.

"We've got a problem here," Sulley moaned. Sora looked ahead; a line of Hounds was forming to block their path, Harryhausen's appearing just beyond them.

"Hold on tight, Kairi!" Sora said before dropping on all fours. Kairi's fingers dug into his fur as Sora loped straight at the Heartless. When he was a few yards away, he let a Firaga spell rip around him. Once Kairi understood, she added her Firaga to his. They plowed straight through the Heartless Hounds, a massive fireball of destruction.

"Go, Sulley!" Sora shouted. "We'll take care of these guys." Sulley ran through the break in the line and burst through the door to Harryhausen's. "Bring it on, furballs!" Sora challenged, letting Kairi down and summoning his Keyblade.

A Hound dashed at Sora and, like Sulley, Sora grabbed its tail on its way past.

Instead of letting it go, Sora just swung it in a large circle, damaging any others that got near. When the only Heartless left was the one in Sora's hand, Sora let it go and finished it off.

They entered the restaurant, spotting Sulley and Mike at a table conversing behind a menu. Poor Celia was left out, and boy did that tick her off.

Sulley put the menu down, looking around worriedly for something. Mike was the one to spot it; the girl was walking around the restaurant, thankfully with the bag still over her head.

At the same moment, Sora, Kairi, and Sulley gasped and started towards the girl. She tottered over towards a photographer and took off the bag, prompting Mike into action.

"On three," the photographer said. "One, two..." The bundle of joy jumped on the photographer's back, causing the posing couple to scream. Looking over his shoulder, the photographer started flailing in panic, sending the girl flying across the room.

She landed on the sushi bar – on her feet, no less – and shouted, "Boo!"

The restaurant erupted in chaos as all the monsters scrambled for the exit. Giggling ecstatically, the girl ran under tables, around chairs, and in all the places too small for a normal-sized monster.

"Googley Bear!" Celia cried as she was swept out the door. Mike could only watch helplessly from within a pile of to-go containers.

That gave Sora an idea. He grabbed a container and scooped up the girl, ending Sulley's evasive dancing. Sora winced as the pain-in-the-neck blew him a raspberry before Sulley packed her up.

"Come on!" Sulley urged, running to the exit.

"Let's get out of here!" cried Mike.

"No need to tell us twice," Sora shouted, picking Kairi up again.

"I'm fine, now, Sora," Kairi complained.

"Too late, now," Sora replied.

CDA helicopters swarmed the area, sweeping the streets with spotlights. Vans rolled in, unloading the strange monsters in their bright yellow suits. They proceeded to round up every single monster there. Sora, Kairi, Mike, and Sulley quickly ducked down an alley to avoid being caught.

"Michael?" Celia called. "Michael?"

"Oh, Celia," Mike cried, turning.

A CDA member approached Celia and began herding her away. "Please come with me." He went so far as to grab Celia's arms with six of his own.

"Hey!" snarled Mike. "Get your hands off my Schmoopsie-poo." Sulley snatched him up before he got himself in trouble.

"Well, I don't think that date could have gone any worse," Mike remarked sourly.

There was a zapping noise behind them, along with a wave of displaced air that stood fur and feather alike on end. They turned around to see a force field covering Harryhausen's, emitting an electric hum.

"We've had worse," Sora and Kairi deadpanned together.

* * *

"If witnesses are to be believed," the news anchor reported later that night, "there has been a child security breach for the first time in monster history."

The camera cut to a CDA member. "We can neither confirm nor deny the presence of a human child here tonight."

"Well, a kid flew right over me and blasted a car with its laser vision!" one monster testified.

"I tried to run from it, but it picked me up with its mind powers and shook me like a doll!" another confessed.

A many-eyed monster butted onto the screen. "It's true! I saw the whole thing!"

The scene changed back to the anchor room, where the anchor was consulting a scientist. "It is my professional opinion that now is the time to...panic!"

The girl pushed the TV to the floor, where it fizzled and died. "Oh-oh," she mumbled.

"That's right," Kairi cooed. "You tell all those monsters out there how silly they're all being."

Her statement was drowned out by Mike and Sulley screaming, however. They cowered behind a large armchair that must have been Sulley's, pulling Sora and Kairi with them. Yuna flittered about above them, their 'eye in the sky.'

"It's coming," Mike whimpered.

"Boo!" the little girl shouted, jumping out at them. The group moved towards the windows – Sulley and Sora pulled the shades down – but the girl clambered through the tail hole in the chair and bounded towards them again.

"But, what if she isn't dangerous?" Kairi pleaded as she was dragged around like a rag doll. Kairi, once again, went ignored as the girl accidentally raised a blind.

"Come here, kid," Mike said, moving her away with a broom. Cringing, he sprayed the area with disinfectant as a precautionary measure...like the flippers, oven mitts, snorkel, and strainer he was wearing.

Instead, the munchkin became interested in a CD...near the bottom of a stack.

"No, don't touch those you little..." Mike began, before watching his precious collection topple like a living card tower. "Oh, now, those were alphabetized."

"Don't worry, Mike," Sora said, holding his Keyblade at the ready. Sulley was beside him, holding a garbage can lid in a way that looked uncannily like Goofy holding his shield. Kairi hovered behind them, torn between helping the child and not worrying Sora. "We'll help you sort them out."

"It's okay. It's alright," said Mike in an attempt to calm himself. He threw down the snorkel and strainer. "As long as it doesn't come near us, we're going to be okay."

The kid walked over to Mike and sneezed right in his face. Mike yelped and sprayed himself full-on with disinfectant. This time, Mike downright screamed in pain. The mitts flew off his hands as he clutched his eye.

The girl hopped towards Sulley, who backed onto his chair. She started babbling at him, content with a one-sided conversation.

"Please," Kairi cried desperately. "I don't think she'll hurt us, Sora. We're not...from here."

Jiminy emerged from Kairi's pouch and hopped onto Sora's shoulder. "She might be right. Remember that cursed Heartless in Port Royal?"

Sora tilted his head towards Kairi ever so slightly, not taking his eyes off the girl. "I'd rather not risk it."

"That's not like you, Sora," Jiminy wondered.

Kairi eyed Sora angrily. "Sora just hates kids."

"Wha...?" Sora muttered, taken off guard by the statement.

"Don't play dumb," she snapped. "You and Riku always made a point of having plans together whenever I babysat so that neither of you got roped into helping me."

"I don't hate kids," Sora said defensively. "I just don't like dealing with them."

"Well, you better get used to it, because I'm not raising our kids alone."

"_Our kids?_" Sora squeaked, giving Kairi such a pitiful look that she burst out laughing. In his moment of inattentiveness, small hands grabbed Sora's right hand, making him jump so badly that he dropped his Keyblade.

The little scamp laughed happily and snatched the Keyblade up, tottering around the room with it. It was amazing that the girl could move at all; that thing was longer than she was!

"Hey!" Sora said angrily. "That's dangerous." He held out a paw and summoned his Keyblade back. The little girl looked at him miserably and started whining.

"Oh, no," Mike grimaced, covering his face.

The girl let loose a shrieking wail of a cry that immediately brightened all the lights in the room. Everything electrical buzzed to life. Suddenly, a CDA searchlight shined through the window.

"Make it stop, Sulley," Mike hollered, running to the window and attempting to pull the shade down. "Make it stop." Poor Mike wasn't quite tall enough, so Sora quickly lunged at the window and yanked the blind down.

Sulley looked around hurriedly and spotted a stuffed bear on the mantle. He grabbed it, saying, "Look! See the bear? Ooh, see, nice bear."

"Sulley," Mike quavered, peeking outside.

"Ooh, bear, ooh," Sulley said, getting off his chair. He danced around a bit and 'sang,' "Oh, he's a happy bear. He's not crying, neither should you or we'll be in trouble 'cause they're gonna find us, so please stop crying..." Finally, the girl's tears slowed.

Sora glanced out the window to see the spotlight moving away. "Good, good, Sulley. Keep it up, you're doing great."

"Ooh, the happy bear, he has no..." The kid squealed once and jumped for the bear. Sulley pulled back, clutching his hand. "Ahhh! She touched me!"

"Sulley, the bear!"

Sora, Kairi, and Mike all lunged for the bear at the same time, but Mike tripped on his flippers and barreled into Sora. Jiminy went flying, but was promptly saved by Yuna. However, Yuna couldn't carry the weight. Her wings gave out and they plummeted. With a spectacular dive, Kairi managed to catch them both.

Sora rolled across the floor and into the wall, coming to rest upside-down with his back against the wall. Mike somehow ended up inside a trash can, which managed to find its way between Sora's legs. Books from the bookshelf next to them toppled, hitting Sora in uncomfortable spots and lodging in Mike's mouth. La piéce de résistance? A stereo landed on Mike, squishing him flat.

The child started laughing hysterically. Everything surged with power, then simultaneously shut off as the circuits blew.

"What was that?" Sulley mused.

Mike hopped over, still stuck in the trash can. "I have no idea, but it would be really great if it didn't do it again."

"'She!'" Kairi hissed.

The girl just giggled innocently.

"Shh, shh, shh," Sulley shushed.

"Shh," she copied.

"Well...I said we'd find you a girl..." Sora said after a moment, still in his ridiculous position. He gingerly flipped over and clutched his head. "Blood rush."

"What now?" asked Sulley.

In answer, Kairi strode over to a large desk and rummaged around in it. "Do you guys have any sugary cereal?"

"Uh, yeah," Sulley replied, trying to pry Mike out of the trash can, "but it's not in the desk."

Kairi straightened impatiently, holding something in her hands. "I know that. But the paper and crayons _are_." Kairi walked over to the little girl and handed her the paper and crayons she'd found. "There you go." The child babbled excitedly and immediately set to work.

"I'll go get that cereal," Sulley said, exiting the room.

"And I'll come up with a plan," Mike announced dramatically, taking a seat at the desk.

Sora watched the girl color contentedly, completely quiet. It was amazing to think that she'd been screaming just moments ago. "Nice job, Kairi," he said, sidling up to her and placing an arm around her. She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Isn't she adorable?" Kairi gushed.

Sora cocked his head a bit. "She reminds me of Naminé."

"How so?"

"Naminé likes drawing, too."

Kairi turned slightly in Sora's arms to look up at him curiously. "How do you know that?"

Sora opened his mouth, then quickly shut it. "I don't know..."

"Got it!" Sulley called, holding a cereal box aloft to complement his grand reentrance. He also had some candles that Sora set about lighting.

The girl looked up expectantly and opened her mouth wide. Not wanting to approach the child, Sulley threw a single piece of cereal at her and, to everyone's surprise, she caught it in her mouth and opened it again for more. This, along with the crayons, proved to be ample entertainment for her.

"How could I do this?" Sulley lamented. "How could I be so stupid? This could destroy the company."

"The company?" Mike asked incredulously. "Who cares about the company? What about us? That _thing_ is a killing machine!"

Sora watched the little girl get up and spin around in circles, 'la-la-ing' while she did so. "'Killing machine' is a little much, don't you think?"

"Oh, no," Mike said. "I bet it's just waiting for us to fall asleep and then wham!" He brought his fist into his other hand. "Oh, we're easy prey, my friends, easy prey. We're sitting targets."

"Don't be stupid!" Kairi snapped.

"Okay, look," continued Mike. "I think I have a plan here. Using mainly spoons and Keyswords" – "Keyblades." – "whatever, we dig a tunnel under the city and release it into the wild."

"Spoons..." Sora, Kairi, and Sulley deadpanned.

Mike crumpled his plan and tossed it into the garbage, along with about twenty other failed plans he'd come up with in the past hour.

Babbling a bit, the budding artist displayed her latest work. She'd drawn herself holding hands with Sulley and Kairi. Dropping the picture, the girl rubbed her eyes sleepily and yawned.

"Uh, guys?" Sulley began, "I think she's getting tired."

"Well, then why don't you find some place for it to sleep?" Mike asked calmly, then jumped in his chair angrily. "While I think of a plan!"

Kairi approached the yawning girl and knelt. "Aw, are you sleepy?" The girl responded by lifting her arms to Kairi. Without even thinking about it, Kairi obliged and picked her up. "Oops," she said coolly. "Too late, now."

"Fine," Sora scowled, "but if you die, we're through."

"Did we ever get together?" asked Kairi, ignoring the flaw in Sora's logic with practiced ease.

"Not explicitly..."

Kairi giggled. "Hey, Sulley, where can she sleep?"

"My room," he replied, grabbing some newspapers and heading through another door. He put the newspapers down in a corner. "There you go."

"She's not a pet!" Kairi frowned, sitting heavily on Sulley's bed. The slippery girl wriggled out of Kairi's arms and settled under Sulley's covers.

"No, hey, that's my bed," Sulley whined. "You're going to get your germs all over it."

The obstinate girl just wriggled farther under the covers, an innocent, irresistible smile growing on her face. That, and Kairi's angry scowl, proved too much for Sulley. "Fine," he sighed. "My chair is more comfortable anyway. Do you and Sora need a place to sleep?"

"No, we'll be fine," Kairi replied, a soft smile replacing the frown. "Good night, sweetheart," Kairi said to the girl, tucking her in.

She and Sulley made to leave, but stopped as the girl yelled fearfully. The poor child was pointing at the closet, her eyes wide.

"What?" Sulley asked impatiently. "It's just a closet. Will you go to sleep?"

Kairi huffed, "She probably thinks Randall is going to come out of it. That's what happened the last time she was in bed."

Sulley sighed impatiently and walked over to the closet. "Oh, boy, how do I explain this?" he muttered. "Uh, it's empty." He pulled the closet door open. "See?" Men. "No monster in here."

The girl yanked the covers over her head. "It's alright," Kairi whispered, patting the girl comfortingly. She lowered the covers slightly, watching as Sulley went into the closet to check for monsters.

"Well, now there is," Sulley snorted, "but I'm not going to scare you." He exited the closet and shut the door. "I'm off-duty."

"As if that makes any difference to her," Kairi snapped.

The poor girl wasn't convinced. "Okay," Sulley sighed. "How about we stay here, until you fall asleep?" He pushed some cinder blocks in front of his closet and sat on them, as if guarding the door. "Go ahead. Go to sleep. Now. Now...go."

Kairi just rolled her eyes and started singing a lullaby. "_Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..._" The girl smiled sleepily at Kairi. "_Bright_ _copper kettles and warm woolen mittens..._" Her eyelids drooped. "_Brown paper packages tied up with strings..._" She settled back into the pillow. "_These are a few of my favorite things._" The girl's eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.

The two of them watched her sleeping for a moment. "Isn't she sweet when she's asleep?" Kairi whispered.

A curiously puzzled expression stole over Sulley's face. "Yeah..." They crept out of the room.

Sora peered at Kairi curiously as she came out. "Were you singing?"

"Yeah," Kairi said, blushing. "It's a song called 'My Favorite Things.' My grandmother used to sing it to me."

"My mother used to sing it to me, too..." Sora breathed wonderingly.

Sulley, off in his own musings, shook his head and came back to the present. "This might sound crazy, but I think Kairi's right. I don't think that kid's dangerous at all."

"Really?" Mike asked sarcastically. "Well, in that case, let's keep it. I always wanted a pet _that could kill me_."

"Isn't the point that she _won't _kill you?" Sora pointed out.

"Now, look," Sulley said sternly. "What if we just put her back in her door?"

"That could work," said Sora, emphasizing it with his hand. "Just the fact that she's here has messed with the order of this world and we are definitely meddling by keeping her here."

Mike and Sulley stared at him blankly. "What?"

"Nevermind," Sora said, rubbing the back of his head. "But, if we put her back, that should set everything straight."

"Yeah!" agreed Sulley. "It'll be like it never happened."

"Is that a joke?" Mike bit. "Tell me you're joking." No one did. "Okay, I'd like to think that, given the circumstances, I have been extremely forgiving up to now, but that is a horrible idea! What are we going to do? March right into public with that thing? Then I guess we just waltz right up to the factory, right?"

"We can figure that out in the morning," Sulley said. "Right now, we're all tired and irritable, so we should just go to bed."

"Sounds good," Sora yawned, stretching his arms a bit. He and Kairi curled up together on a comfortable patch of floor and instantly fell asleep.

* * *

**New Characters:**

Henry J. Waternoose: Monsters, Inc. (2001)  
James P. Sullivan (Sulley): Monsters, Inc. (2001)  
Mike Wazowski: Monsters, Inc. (2001)  
Celia: Monsters, Inc. (2001)  
Randall Boggs: Monsters, Inc. (2001)  
Roz: Monsters, Inc. (2001)  
George Sanderson: Monsters, Inc. (2001)  
Charlie: Monsters, Inc. (2001)


	16. Of Evil Plots

Chapter 16: Of Evil Plots

"I can't believe we are waltzing right up to the factory," Mike said the next morning, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "A mop, a couple of lights, and some chair fabric are not going to fool anyone!"

"I don't know," Sora mused. The purple chair fabric did look a lot like scales, the mop-head on top did look a lot like hair, and the lights sticking up did look a lot like stalk-eyes...at least to Sora. "Looks pretty convincing to me."

"It better be," Yuna huffed, "I designed it after your first sad attempt."

"Just think about a few names, will you?" Mike continued angrily. "Lock Ness, Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman – they all have one thing in common – banishment. A one-way ticket to the human world. We could be next!"

"Don't panic – we can do this," Sulley muttered as they approached the M. I. front doors. "Everything's going to be okay." He went through the door...and stopped cold.

Sora peered around Sulley's figure and gulped, letting the door swing shut in his wake. Dozens of CDA members swarmed the lobby, their bright yellow suits only enhancing the bee-like behavior. Detectors whirred and buzzed, CDA members overturned everything, and one was even rappelling from the ceiling. Jiminy hunkered lower in Sora's pocket even as Kairi shoved Yuna down into her hip pouch.

"This was recovered at the scene," a CDA member proclaimed, showing the M. I. duffle bag to an irate Waternoose.

"Don't panic, don't panic!" Sulley breathed.

"Don't tell me not to panic," Mike hissed back.

"Just keep it together."

"Everything is not okay."

They huffed and glared at each other, nose to nose. Kairi placed a hand on both of them, smiling gently, the picture of calm. Letting air hiss slowly out of their mouths, Mike and Sulley relaxed a bit.

"Boo," came the girl's voice.

Sora glanced at Sulley's empty hands, then around the lobby, and groaned. She was headed straight for Waternoose.

"Gentlemen, safety is our number one concern," the CEO assured, irritation lacing his words. "If there's anything..." He broke off as the 'monster' child tugged on his leg. "Not now, not now." He turned. "Oh, hello, little one. Where did you come from?"

"Mr. Waternoose!" yelled Sulley, running up, the other three trailing him.

"Ah, James, Sora," Waternoose said brightly. "Is this one of yours?"

Sora felt the skin under his fur burning and looked pointedly away from Kairi.

"Actually," Sulley began, "that's my, uh, cousin's sister's daughter, sir."

"Yeah, it's, uh...'Bring an Obscure Relative to Work Day,'" said Mike. Sora grimaced at the lame excuse.

"Hmm," Waternoose muttered thoughtfully, "must have missed the memo. Well, listen, James, Sora, why don't you stop by the simulator after lunch today and give us those demonstrations we talked about, huh?"

"Oh, er..." Sora muttered. He'd completely forgotten about that. Apparently, so had Sulley. Neither of them looked too keen on the idea anymore, though.

One of the CDA tapped the CEO on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Mr. Waternoose?"

"Yes, yes, I'm coming," Waternoose sighed. "All right then, I'll see you two this afternoon. That is, if these gentlemen haven't shut us down." He turned away, halting any remaining protests from Sora and Sulley.

Mike immediately rounded on them, "Oh, demos? Well, that is great. Why am I the last to know?"

"I didn't know, either, Mike," Kairi said, giving Sora a stern look. He just grinned sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair. "We can bring Sulley's cousin's sister's daughter along," she dryly suggested.

"She'll be a big hit," snorted Mike.

* * *

Mike peered around a row of lockers. "Come on, the coast is clear. Okay, all we have to do is get rid of that thing. So, you wait here while I get its card key."

"I'll go with you," offered Sora.

"But, she can't stay here," Sulley cried, putting the girl down on a bench. "This is the men's room."

"Didn't stop me."

The guys jumped and wheeled around. Kairi stood there, a Riku-like smirk across her face.

"Whatever," Sora grunted. "It'll be fine as long as no one comes in here."

The child began hopping in place, her arms hugging her abdomen. "See, it loves it here!" Mike cried. "It's dancing with joy! We'll be right back with its door key." They left.

"That's a cute little dance you've got," Sulley laughed.

She threw back the hood of her disguise and gave them an agonized look. "Sulley..." Kairi muttered. "I don't think that's a dance."

"Oh."

Sulley snatched the girl up and rushed her to a stall. Sighing in relief, she immediately entered the stall and closed the door. A few seconds later, she began singing a song in her own babbling tongue.

"How sweet," Kairi cooed.

The song stopped. "Uh, are you done in there?" Sulley asked, easing the stall door open. When the little girl squealed, Sulley quickly withdrew, saying, "Ah! Sorry. Sorry."

"Sulley, Sulley," Kairi sighed, shaking her head. The singing started again.

The toilet flushed. "Okay, you finished now, right?" Sulley asked again, this time deciding to put his ear to the door. "Hello?" He pushed the door open once more.

The stall was empty. Yelping, the two of them squeezed into the stall, staring into the still-flushing toilet.

"Boo!"

Kairi and Sulley tried to turn around, got stuck on each other about half way through the turn, and had to settle on just turning their heads. The tike gazed up at them cutely and giggled proudly. As they worked together to squeeze back out of the stall, the bundle of energy ran off to hide in another stall. Kairi and Sulley looked at each other and chuckled.

"Where did she go, Kairi?" Sulley asked in a baby voice.

"I don't know, Sulley," replied Kairi in a similar tone. "Maybe she disappeared."

Sulley wandered over to the stall the girl was hiding in. "Did she turn invisible?"

"Well," Kairi huffed in mock exaggeration, "I just have no idea."

Grinning, Sulley pushed the door in. "Gotcha!" She wasn't in there.

"Boo."

The girl giggled at them from a stall at the other end of the row.

"Hey, you're good," Sulley praised. The girl just giggled and hid again.

* * *

"Here we go," Mike grimaced, taking a deep breath. He and Sora strolled up to Roz's office window, Mike muttering, "Be relaxed, be relaxed, be relaxed."

Sora tried to be relaxed, key word being tried. Just remembering Roz's voice sent shivers down Sora's spine, the fur on his back rising. She seemed more like a member of a bureaucratic, construction-working, deathly-horrible-poetry-writing alien race that belonged on a huge, yellow spaceship that hung in the sky much the same way that bricks don't.

"Roz my tender, oozing blossom," gushed Mike, "you're looking fabulous today. Is that a new haircut?" Roz just looked at him like he was something nasty she'd oozed over. "Come on, tell me. It's a new haircut, isn't it? That's got to be a new haircut."

"New makeup?" Sora cut in, trying a new approach.

"You've had a lift."

"You've had a tuck."

"You've had something."

"Something has been inserted in your skin that makes you look like..." Sora stuttered, searching for the 'right' word while watching one of Roz's eyelids twitch.

"Listen, we need a favor," Mike said, getting down to business. "Randall was working late last night out on the scare floor. We _really_ need the key for the door he was using."

Roz picked up some papers and straightened them on her desk nonchalantly. "Well, isn't that nice? But guess what?" Sora's stomach took an unpleasant swoop. "You didn't turn in your paperwork last night." It plummeted straight to his feet.

"N-no paperwork?" Mike blinked, stunned. He turned to Sora and growled, "No paperwork?"

"Last night was a bit crazy," Sora growled back. His turn. "Listen, Roz," he said, placing his hands inside the window, Mike following suit. "You know those black things that keep attacking people?" She gazed at him coolly, but didn't say anything. "They're called Heartless. Kairi and I are here to get rid of them for you, but we need the key to do it."

Sora couldn't believe it. He was asking for a key. Yeah, it was slightly different, but still. Him. The Master of Light. Asking for a key. The concept was almost too ludicrous for him to handle.

Roz raised her eyebrows skeptically. "This office is now closed." She closed the steel window covering...right on their fingers.

* * *

Sulley prowled down the row of stalls, his hands raised threateningly over his head. "Ready or not, here I come!"

"Oh, no!" Kairi cried. "Run before he finds you."

"I'm getting warmer," Sulley growled, dropping to his hands and feet. "Any second now. Fe, fi, fo..."

"_What are you doing?_" Mike exploded.

"I-I'm looking for the kid," Sulley stammered.

"_You lost her?_" cried Sora.

Kairi rolled her eyes. "We're playing hide-and-seek."

The girl in question ran up and latched onto Sulley's arm. She even wriggled up and clung to his elbow, gripping hard enough to support herself without Sulley's help.

"Here she is," Sulley stated.

Frightened whining leaked from the girl's mouth into Sulley's fur. "Hey, what's the matter?" Kairi asked, getting as close as she could to the girl's face.

Keyblades flashed to life as several Shadows hobbled in after the girl. One sweep from Sora saw the end of them.

"I already told your buddies I haven't seen anything," Randall's voice crept in. They all gasped and shoved into a stall, climbing onto the toilet to hide their feet.

"All right, carry on," a CDA member replied in a bored tone. Randall came around the corner a moment later and stood in front of the sinks. The poor girl shivered and snuggled closer to Sulley.

Sora was precariously crouched on the toilet seat with Mike in his arms. It didn't help matters either that one of Kairi's legs was stuck between his, with her chest right at his eye level. Nor did it help that his padded feet had no traction on the plastic. There was nothing he could do to keep his foot from slipping and splashing into the toilet bowl.

Randall stopped, listening, then slowly began turning.

"Randall! Thank goodness!" Randall jumped at the sound of his assistant's voice. "What are we going to do about the child?"

"Shh!" Randall hissed. "Quiet, Fungus!"

Sora heard the tell-tale sound of Randall changing colors, then silence. It was broken by the sound of a door slamming at the end of the row. Slam...slam...slam... Fungus whimpered in frightened impatience. Slam. Their door was next. Sora could see the purple scales slide in front of the crack in the stall door.

"The front page!" Fungus blurted. "It's on the front page. The child, the one you were after."

"Will you be quiet?" Randall snarled. "Don't you think I'm aware of the situation? I was up all night trying to find it."

"I did a simple calculation," stuttered Fungus, his voice rising steadily and his words becoming choppier as he went, "factoring in the size of the sushi restaurant. The child may have escaped!"

"Yeah, well, until we know for sure, we're going to act like nothing happened, understand? You just get the machine up and running. I'll take care of the kid. And when I find whoever let it out, they're dead." Randall punched the door, providing a spectacular view of the tangled mess of monsters. Luckily, Randall was looking in the opposite direction and Fungus's eyes were glued on Randall.

"Why are you still here?" Randall bit. "Come on. Move. Now."

"Ow, ow! I'm not here."

They heard Randall and Fungus walk off, the locker room door echoing loudly behind them.

"They're gone," Sulley whispered.

Sora sighed in relief. Big mistake. He lost his footing and landed in the toilet bowl on his behind. Mike landed on his stomach a moment later, forcing the air out of Sora's lungs. Jiminy even had to scramble up to Kairi's hip pouch to avoid being drowned.

"Ew..." the girl said, amusement on her face.

* * *

"This is bad," Mike quailed as they hurried to the scare floor. "This is so very bad."

"No kidding," Sora sighed, trying to shake some water off of him. "I'm positive that Randall is attracting the Heartless. He might even be one himself."

"Just like that Heartless Clayton was riding," Jiminy said from Kairi's pouch.

Sora shivered. "I hate fighting things that are practically invisible."

"What were they talking about a machine, though?" Kairi breathed.

"Who cares?" said Mike, throwing up his hands and moaning.

"Look, don't panic," Sulley insisted, "all we have to do is call her door down and send her home."

"Um...about that," muttered Sora.

Mike paid no attention and barreled right on. "You're right. You're right. We're just four regular joes on our way to work. We will blend right in."

The four of them plastered nonchalant grins on their faces and greeted the other monsters like nothing was amiss.

"You have her card key, right?" Sulley whispered to Mike.

"No," Sora sighed from behind them.

"What are you talking about?" Mike snipped. "Of course we have her card key. We told you we'd get her card key. We went and got her card key and now we have her card key." With a sweeping gesture, Mike procured the item in question, much to Sora's amazement. He must have swiped it when Sora wasn't looking.

As they got to Mike and Sulley's station, Mike scanned the card key. Sulley set the girl down and knelt beside her.

"Take care of yourself," Sulley told her.

Sora chuckled, "Try not to run through any more closets." As hectic as things had been, the kid had managed to grow on him and he was a bit sad to see her off.

"Don't go pulling on any more tails, either," Kairi said, giving the girl a pat on the head. "Not all dogs are as tame as this one." She reached up and began scratching Sora behind his ear. Man, did that feel good! It took all his willpower to keep his leg from thumping. Even so, his tongue ended up flopping out of his mouth. Kairi giggled prettily. "Good boy."

A door came flying down to them, though Sora could tell immediately that it wasn't the right one. This door was a wooden one that looked like it belonged on a farm.

"Mike, that's not her door," Sulley bit.

"What are you talking about?" answered Mike. "Of course it's her door. _It's her door._"

"No," Kairi snapped, puffing up her feathers, "her door was white and it had flowers on it."

"You didn't take this from Roz, did you?" Sora asked dubiously. Yeah, Sora wanted to be rid of the kid, but not bad enough to send her through the wrong door.

"No," Mike argued with Kairi, ignoring Sora completely. "It must have been dark last night because this is its door." Mike opened the door and a light polka floated through it. "Hey, you hear that? Sounds like fun in there!"

"Mike, enough," said Sora.

"Okay, send me a postcard, kid. That's Mike Wazowski, care of 22 Mike-Wazowski-you-got-your-life-back lane."

"Mowki Kowski," the girl tried.

"Very good," Mike deadpanned. "Now bon voyage!"

Both Sulley and Kairi had ugly looks on their faces as Sulley yanked the door closed. "Mike, this isn't Boo's door," Sulley bit.

"Oh, what a cute name!" Kairi chirped. She swooped down to the girl's level. "Is that who you are? Are you Boo?"

"Boo!" Boo squealed in agreement. Kairi chuckled.

Mike covered his eye with his hands. "You're not supposed to name it. Once you name it, you start getting attached to it! Now put that thing back where it came from, or so help me..." His voice had risen in volume to the point where other monsters started staring, most notably the CDA.

"Oh, hey," Mike called as the other three slid Boo out of sight. "We're rehearsing a scene for the upcoming company play called _Put That Thing Back Where It Came From Or So Help Me._ It's a musical!"

Mike began singing and dancing. "Put that thing back where it came from or so help me..." Sulley began a moving bass line on the syllable 'bum' while Sora bowed his air-fiddle and Kairi mimed a flute. "So help me. So help me. And cut!" Mike laughed nervously as the others stopped. "It's a work in progress but, hey, we need ushers." Miraculously enough, everyone turned back to their work.

"Sulley, I've had enough," Mike whispered angrily.

Sora crossed his arms. "That doesn't mean you can stick her through any door you find lying around." He threw Mike a dirty look, then told Sulley and Kairi, "Roz wouldn't give us Boo's card key."

"Wait a minute!" Kairi cried. "Where is she?"

Sulley wheeled around frantically, but Boo was nowhere in sight.

"I don't believe it," Mike blurted. "_She got away from you again?_ Well, that is just..." As Sulley and Kairi began to search under Mike's desk, Mike paused thoughtfully. "Wait a minute. The sun is coming up. This is perfect! She's gone!"

"I want her gone, too, Mike, but we can't just leave her," Sora frowned. "Don't be so heartless..." He shuddered. "I mean...don't be so cold."

Sora, Kairi, and Sulley all began walking away to look for Boo. Yelping, Mike grabbed onto them and tried to hold them back.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Mike pleaded. "Where are you going? Please, don't blow this. Not when we're so close to breaking the record." He grabbed Sora and Sulley by their tails and tried to drag them off, but ended up _being_ dragged instead. "Somebody else will find the kid. It'll be their problem, not ours! She's out of our hair!"

Randall bumped into them then, a paper clutched in his hand. The collision had made his skin turn colors so that it looked like he was wearing Sora's pants, Kairi's shirt, and Sulley's fur. Sora snorted, which didn't go unnoticed by Randall as he changed back to his normal coloring.

"What are you four doing?" Randall snarled.

A slug-like assistant oozed by. "They're rehearsing a play."

"She's out of our hair!" Mike sang.

Randall wasn't impressed. "Can it, Wazowski!" His next question was directed at everyone but Mike. "So, what do you think of that kid getting out? Pretty crazy, huh?"

His tone was so nonchalantly foreboding that Sora tensed enough to call the Keyblade. Randall eyed it angrily, yet warily. "It has a mind of its own when I start feeling threatened," Sora said coolly, relishing the effect of his words.

"Word on the street is the kid's been traced back to this factory," Randall continued. Behind him, Boo tottered out from behind a trash can. "You haven't seen anything, have you?"

"No, no way!" Sora drawled. "But if it was an inside job, I'd put my money on the guy from station six."

"Oh yeah, Waxford," added Mike. "You know, he's got them shifty eyes."

"Hey, Waxford!" Randall called, immediately accosting the poor fellow who was unfortunate enough to be passing by.

Sulley and Kairi immediately headed for the hallway that Boo had disappeared down. Sora was about to follow when he heard a woman shriek, "Michael Wazowski!" and realized Mike was in the most trouble at the moment.

Celia stomped towards them in a towering temper. She was bruised, bandaged, wearing a medical cone, and out for blood. "Last night was one of the worst nights of my entire life, bar none!" Her hair came to life and hissed at Mike.

"At least you weren't kidnapped or anything," Sora muttered dryly. Hearing this, Celia turned her snakes on Sora, who cowered and was both amused and embarrassed to find his tail between his legs. Heartless? Big deal! Nobodies? No problem! Women? Head for the hills... She rounded on Mike again.

"I thought you cared about me," she pouted.

Mike tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. "Honey, please. Schmoopsie, I thought you liked sushi."

"Sushi?" she shrieked, loudly enough for Randall to hear. "_Sushi?_" Randall glanced their way, suspicion glinting in his eyes. "_You think this is about sushi?_"

Mike decided to quiet her by sweeping her off her feet and locking lips. Celia just slapped him. As Randall studied his newspaper, Mike scampered away and Sora loped after him. He saw Mike dash through a set of double doors that swung closed behind him, but when Sora entered, Mike was nowhere to be seen among the labyrinth of hallways.

* * *

Sulley and Kairi finally spotted Boo as she toppled into a trash can.

"Hey, you! Halt!" came the characteristic bark of a CDA member. Wincing, Sulley and Kairi slowly turned towards the two rubber ducks approaching them.

"He's the one," the other said. "The one from the commercial!"

"Affirmative. That's him."

"Can we get an autograph?" He held out a clipboard.

Kairi and Sulley sagged in relief. "Oh, sure. No problem," Sulley said brightly.

"Can't forget the lady friend either."

"Oh," Kairi squeaked, feeling herself color, "no, I'm not..."

"You can make that out to Bethany, my daughter."

A door creaked behind them and two teenage monsters came out. Chattering mindlessly, they began wheeling the trash can away, Boo still inside.

"Yes. Let's see..." Sulley muttered distractedly. "'From your scary friend. Best wishes. James P. Sullivan.'" He quickly thrust the clipboard away, only for it to be thrust equally as quickly into Kairi's hand. For the sake of time, she quickly scrawled her name.

"See you guys later," said Kairi. "Take it easy."

"Bottoms up!" one of the teenagers said, dumping the trash in a receptacle in the wall. An 'eye' poked out of the pile. Before they could do anything, the teen pressed a button and the trash, and Boo, disappeared down the chute.

Sulley yelped and scrambled for the stairs to the basement. Struggling to keep up, Kairi ran as fast as her bird legs would carry her, wondering just what happened to M. I.'s trash to scare Sulley so bad.

She got her answer when Sulley nearly took a heavy metal door off its hinges. He plastered himself to a window that overlooked some sort of conveyor belt, blocking Kairi's view. When he fainted, though, Kairi got a clear view of the pronged metal wheel and waffle stompers pounding the piles of trash on the conveyor belt. Her heart felt like it was on the belt with Boo.

Sulley shakily got to his feet, then fainted again with a loud whumph. A wheel was pressing the trash flat. Whumph. A razor was cutting up the flattened trash.

Finally, the conveyor belt entered the hallway they were in, compressed trash cubes on the line. One cube sported a mangled light-turned-eye on top. Sulley reached out towards the cube gingerly, but couldn't quite bring himself to touch it. Whumph. Kairi stepped over Sulley and gathered the cube in her arms, letting tears slowly drip onto it.

A quick Curaga got Sulley back on his feet, but no amount of magic could get Boo back on her feet. She was...she was... Oh, where was Sora? All Kairi wanted was to throw herself into his arms and cry into his shoulder until she couldn't stand on her own anymore. Her head would fall to his chest, right over his heart, that infallible muscle of his that could support not only his life, but the lives of everyone around him.

Gently but solemnly, Sulley took the cube from Kairi and slowly trudged the way back to the factory proper. Kairi dragged her talons behind him, creating the air of a procession. It was an appropriate metaphor, considering what had happened.

"Sulley! Kairi!" Mike cried as he saw them. His chipper smile and cheerful gait seemed so out of place. Their gloom failed to bring down his mood even the slightest bit. "Great news, guys. I got us a way out of this mess, but we got to hurry."

"It doesn't matter anymore," Kairi sobbed.

"What do you mean? Where is it?" asked Mike. Sulley held out the cube for Mike to examine. Mike just looked concerned. "Sull, that's a cube of garbage." Sulley tipped the cube ever so slightly so that the light flopped over the side. "Uh-oh."

"I-I can still hear her little voice," Sulley blubbered.

"Mike Wazowski," came Boo's voice. Kairi shut her eyes tightly. She'd been hearing "Boo!" out of every nook and cranny.

"Hey, I can hear her, too," Mike said, putting his ear to the cube. Several more children's voices babbled his name and Mike peered closely at the cube, scrutinizing every inch. "How many kids you got in there?"

"Is that them, dear?"

A motherly-looking daycare monster crossed into their hallway, a gaggle of monster children flocking around her heels. And behind them came Sora, eyeing the children distastefully. "Yeah, hey guys!" Sora called, waving with one paw. His other paw was carrying Boo, now one-eyed but unharmed.

"Boo!" Sulley and Kairi shouted.

"Kitty! Kaiwi!" Boo shouted back.

Kairi ran to them and threw her arms around Sora, with Boo in between. The garbage cube flew over Sulley's shoulder and into Mike's arms (they weren't strong enough to hold it) as Sulley dashed over and picked up all three of them in a monster hug.

"Boo, oh, you're all right!" Kairi breathed in relief.

"We were so worried," said Sulley, putting them down. Then his face became suddenly stern. "Don't you _ever_ run away from us again, young lady!"

"Oh, but at least you're safe," Kairi muttered, transferring Boo to her arms.

"My, what affectionate parents," the daycare monster cooed.

"Uh, actually, she's my cousin's sister's daughter," Sulley stammered.

Kairi quickly laced her fingers in Sora's paw, ignored his gulp, and put their clasped hands in view. "Yeah, and Sora and I are just kinda babysitters," she stuttered embarrassedly. "Sulley's the single one."

"Although he's looking to change that," Sora inserted hurriedly, then coughed as a feathery elbow was inserted into his stomach. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem, dears," the daycare monster smiled.

Mike meandered their way, his eye nervously on a clock. "Okay, that's enough. Let's go."

One of the children slithered up to Mike. "Mike Wazowski," he babbled.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Mike rambled, waving a hand at the child. "Step aside, kid. We're in a..." The kid chomped down on Mike's hand and Mike let out a pained scream. Boo, on the other hand, started screaming with laughter. The lights flashed and blew, plunging the hall into darkness.

"Will you stop making Boo laugh?" Sulley snapped.

Mike prised the kid off his gnawed digits. "I didn't, so come on!" He scurried away and the others followed.

"I still don't understand," Sulley said as they ran towards the scare floor. "You got Boo's door?"

"I'll explain later. Run," Mike replied. "Okay, let's move. Let's move. Let's move. Come on."

They skidded around the last corner – how Sora kept from slipping, he didn't know – and found the scare floor empty.

"Please be there, please be there, please be there," Mike prayed. His wish was answered; Boo's door stood at one of the stations. "There it is! Just like Randall said."

"_Randall?_" the others repeated, skidding to a halt. If Kairi hadn't been sandwiched between Sora and Sulley, she would have dropped Boo. As it was, Boo wiggled out of her grasp, anyway, and cowered under a desk.

"One, two, three, four! Get the kid back through the door!" Mike cheered. "We're going to get our lives back. The nightmare is over."

Kairi and Sulley both ignored him, choosing instead to kneel next to Boo. "Hey, it's okay, Boo," Kairi murmured soothingly.

"Hey, what's the matter?" blurted Mike. "Come on, it's time to move! This is a limited time offer."

"Randall's offer," Sora retorted. "All my instincts are saying it's a bad idea to trust him."

Mike turned his back on Sora. "Sulley, you wanted her door and there it is. Now, let's move."

Sulley picked Boo up and clutched her protectively. "No, Mike."

"You want me to prove everything's on the up-and-up?" Mike asked irritably. "Fine!" He threw his hands up and strode to the door. "He wants the door, I get the door... He's a paranoid delusional furball." Mike pushed the door open and, with a dry look on his face, indicated the empty room.

"No, don't," Sora whispered urgently, trying to grab Mike, but he'd already entered the room. He hopped onto the bed and bounced on it like he was a tigger or something. Midbounce, a box came out of nowhere and scooped Mike up.

Boo whimpered and pressed closer to Sulley, who ducked under the desk. Pulling Sora under with her, Kairi watched as Randall walked out and dumped the box carrying Mike inside a cart disguised as scream canisters. With a look that was all business, Randall sent Boo's door back and began pushing the cart away, just as the lunch bell rang.

Sora jumped to his feet, summoning his Keyblade with a snarl. "The creep!" He fished around in his pocket until his fingers found the key chain he was looking for. Kingdom Key might have been more traditional, but it was weak as far as Keyblades went. He needed the power, grace, and speed of _Ultima Weapon_. "Let's go." No one kidnapped his friends and got away with it.

As inexperienced with tracking as he was, Sora was easily able to sniff out Randall's stench. He followed it into the hallway maze, navigating through them almost expertly, until the scent went down a deserted, dead-end corridor.

"Huh?"

The scent was here; Randall's stench was hard to miss or mistake. Sulley came up behind him, dropping Boo, and began searching through some scream canisters, along with Kairi.

Feeling frustrated, Sora watched Boo play with some of the tools on the wall, ready to stop her if necessary. She jiggled a handle and, to Sora's surprise, the wall swung forward, revealing a hidden passage.

"Way to go, Boo!" Sora praised. She giggled excitedly and Sora scooped her up as he passed her. Slightly anxious, he stood on the threshold and peered down the metal tunnel. Boo whimpered and pressed her face into his chest. "It's okay," Sora murmured, patting her protectively.

"I thought you didn't like dealing with kids," Kairi whispered smugly in his ear.

"Hn," Sora grunted. _I think Riku is rubbing off on me. I'm picking up his habits._ He began padding down the tunnel to prevent Kairi from telling him as much. As Kairi and Sulley followed, the door swung shut, clanging with unnerving finality. Now that he knew where the door was, he could unlock it easily, though. No worries, right?

The tunnel opened into something like a boiler room. Voices floated to them from somewhere towards the back.

"Yes! I got the kid!" Randall snapped at someone.

"Oh, huzzah!" Fungus gushed. "Not that I was concerned, of course."

They crouched behind a cluster of pipes and peered through a gap between them. Yuna and Jiminy hopped up onto a pipe, Yuna firing up the Commsphere, Jiminy poised to take notes.

"Just get over here and help me," growled Randall. "Come on, come on. While we're young here, Fungus!" He flipped open the top of the faux-canisters, staring at the box inside it hungrily. Grunting and straining, he and Fungus heaved the box out with difficulty. "Kid needs to take off a few pounds."

They took the box over to a chair and dumped Mike into it. "_Wazowski?_" Randall gasped. He snapped his fingers and a snarling circle of Heartless Hounds formed. Sora tensed, but Kairi placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him in place for the moment. "Where is it, you little one-eyed cretin?" He pronounced it creh-tin.

"Okay, first of all, it's cree-tin," Mike calmly jeered. "If you're going to threaten me, do it properly." So, the little guy had some guts after all. "Second of all, you're nuts if you think kidnapping me is going to help you cheat your way to the top!"

Randall laughed a quiet, sinister laugh. "You still think this is about that stupid scare record?"

"Well...I did," Mike rambled, "right up until you chuckled like that and now I'm thinking I should just get out of here." He tried to get up, but a metal harness swung over him and Randall put Mike's arms in shackles.

"I am about to revolutionize the scaring industry," Randall gloated, relishing his every word and Mike's every gasp, "and when I do, even the great James P. Sullivan is going to be working for me."

Sora's hand tightened on _Ultima Weapon_, and Kairi's hand tightened on his shoulder, as if saying, "Not yet!"

"Well," Mike gulped, "somebody's certainly been a busy bee."

"First, I need to know where the kid is," Randall growled menacingly, "and you're going to tell me."

"I don't know anything," Mike said quickly.

Fungus began flipping switches and pressing buttons on a console. Red lights flared to life as some hulking metal machine lowered from the ceiling, metal grinding in protest. Mike began muttering frantically, his cries getting louder and louder. The machine stopped a few feet from the floor, its nozzle pointed at Mike.

"Say hello to the scream extractor," Randall said, his voice oozing with smugness.

"Hello," Mike said weakly.

A low, guttural growl emitted from Sora's throat, causing Boo to shudder slightly in his arms. He handed her off to Kairi, not wanting to frighten her too badly. In his mind, Randall had crossed from jerk to evil. Randall wanted to subject kids to a machine called the 'scream extractor' for crying out loud! _And_ he was using Heartless to help him. All Sora wanted to do was sink his teeth into Randall's neck, to rip him to shreds with his claws. The lust for blood was almost...feral.

Randall walked over to the console. "Come on, where you going?" Mike whined. A Hound snapped at his feet, toying with him. "We'll talk. Come on, we'll have a latte."

Sulley quietly crept off as Randall started the machine. It whirred to life – making quite a racket, too – and the nozzle began extending towards Mike.

Another growl sounded, but this time it wasn't Sora. A Hound had snuck up behind them. Sora leapt at it with a roar, dropping his Keyblade in favor of his claws. His jaws found their way around the Hound's throat and clamped down. Where normally there would have been blood, darkness flowed into Sora's mouth. The feel of it sliding over his tongue was enough to bring him to his senses. Spitting it out, he used _Ultima Weapon_ to finish off the Hound.

"Sora?" Kairi asked uncertainly, her voice quavering slightly. She eyed him fearfully and was half-way into a defensive stance, one arm around Boo, the other ready to summon Radiating Garden. Boo had a look of pure terror on her face.

Tears of shame welled in his eyes. "Kairi," he choked. "I'm so sorry." He wanted to hold her to show her that he was back to normal, but after what had happened, he didn't feel he deserved to touch her. His monstrous exterior had brought out the monster inside. His darkness. Yeah, he had always known it was there, but now he could feel it lurking uncomfortably near the forefront of his heart, caged for the moment but no less feral. He'd thought that his heart was far too strong to hold any significant amount of darkness. But no, only the Princesses had that luxury. Perhaps what made a heart strong was its ability to control its darkness.

Was this how Riku felt? Constantly having to battle with himself and constantly fearing he would lose? Did he feel like he was the biggest threat to those around him? If he did, he certainly didn't let on that he did and he certainly kept control. Well, if Riku could do it, so could Sora. No darkness would conquer his heart, not even his own! He forced the wild beast into the depths of his heart where other forgotten things gathered.

A hand that was impossibly delicate, even covered in feathers, gently brought his shame-ridden eyes to Kairi's concerned ones. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Let's just say I understand Riku a lot better now," he mumbled.

Boo gazed up at him with hurt eyes. "Doggy back?"

Sora smiled at her complete innocence. He didn't want her to lose that just yet. "Yes, Doggy's back, and he's not going away again." He licked her nose and she giggled a bit.

"It looks like Sulley's cut the power," Jiminy commentated calmly. Sora could tell that the cricket was more shaken up than he let on, though. Jiminy hadn't been this upset since Sora had fought with Donald and Goofy and left by himself to find Naminé. Wait...Naminé?

"Good thing, too," Yuna muttered quietly, her normal cheer absent. "That machine was going to suck the scream right out of him."

Sora shrugged and made a mental note to ask Naminé about that later. Now that he thought about it, he could thank her, too...then ask why he was thanking her.

"Fungus is checking the machine," Jiminy continued. "Oh! Randall just left. Now's your chance."

Kairi jumped up with reflexes Sora didn't know she had and ran straight at the Heartless Hounds still guarding Mike. She backhanded the air like before, felling the beasts, just as Sulley dropped onto Fungus from above.

"About time!" Mike cried irritably, though he still sounded quite relieved.

Sora caught Kairi under her arms as her knees buckled. Looking concerned and somewhat apologetic, Boo hopped out of Kairi's arms and tottered over to Sulley instead. She knew that Kairi was too tired to hold her!

Sora shook his head. "I'd love to see how she turns out when she's older." Kairi weakly nodded in agreement.

Sora pointed his Keyblade at Mike's restraints and they popped open. Mike hopped down, rubbing his wrists.

"Let's get outta here, before Randall gets back," Mike said.

"Just one more thing, first," Sulley replied. He picked up Fungus and put the hapless assistant into the restraints to replace Mike. "Come on."

"This is crazy," Mike heaved as they hightailed it out of there. "He's going to kill us!" They swerved their path to avoid a knot of CDA members. "We got to get out of here, now! We can start a whole new life somewhere far away."

"I don't think you have to go that far," Sora panted. His fur was starting to get really warm.

"Good-bye, Monsters, Inc.!" Mike lamented. "Good-bye, Mr. Waternoose!"

Sulley gasped and reversed direction. "Follow me," he shouted over his shoulder. "I have an idea." Of course! Waternoose could help them.

* * *

"Mr. Waternoose!" Sulley shouted, bursting through the simulation room door.

"James! Sora! Perfect timing," Waternoose beamed.

"No, no. Sir, you don't understand," Sulley stressed.

Waternoose ignored him and took Boo out of Sulley's hands, shoving her on Mike instead. "Ah, now, show these monsters how it's done, James."

"Sir, wait," Sora tried, extending his arm as Waternoose led Sulley into the simulated room. He didn't dare move more than that, though; Kairi was still leaning heavily on him. "Please, you've got to hear us out."

"Pay attention, everyone," Waternoose commanded. "You're about to see the best in the business. Reset the simulator."

"But-but, sir!" stammered Sulley.

"Good night, sweetheart," crackled the recorded voice of a mother.

"Good night, mom," said a boy's recorded voice as Mike set Boo down over near a set of monitors on the opposite side of the room.

"Kitty," Boo squealed, running to him.

"No, Boo, no, no!" Mike hissed.

"Now, give us a big, loud roar," Waternoose boomed.

"Mr. Waternoose, there's no time for this," Sora cried.

"Never mind him, James, just roar," said Waternoose.

"Boo, come back," Kairi whispered urgently.

"But-but-but, sir!" Sulley stuttered.

"Roar!"

Sulley groaned and turned towards the boy robot.

"Sulley, don't!"

He didn't hear them, though, and let loose a roar that would give the Beast and Simba a run for their munny. Having scampered over to the bed, Boo received it full force. Whimpering, she started to cry and ran off to hide behind some platforms leaning against the wall.

Why were they clapping? Boo thought it was scary, not good. First Doggy, now Kitty, and Kaiwi was next. No...Kaiwi wouldn't turn scary; she was a Light Princess. But Kaiwi loved Doggy. She couldn't help Boo.

Kitty came over to Boo, but she squeezed between two of the platforms and ran out the other side.

"Boo," Kaiwi said, trying to walk over to Boo and give her a hug. Doggy tried to stop Kaiwi, but she pushed him away. She was still tired from stopping all the Bad Doggies, too.

"Boo, it's me," Kitty said, still coming to her. That was the scariest part, that it _was_ Kitty. Boo started walking backwards and tripped over a wire. Her hood fell off.

"The child!" Grandpa Crabman yelled.

"Sir, she isn't toxic," Doggy told Grandpa Crabman.

"I know it sounds crazy, but trust us," Mike Wazowski said. He didn't like her much. He couldn't help, either. She was sure he couldn't scare her, though.

Kitty started crawling towards Boo on his knees. "It's okay. I was just..." He reached out for Boo and she curled herself up. "No, no, no, no, no, don't be scared. That wasn't real. It's just a..." Then Kitty looked up at the TVs and saw himself, saw how scary he was.

"This is why I don't agree with scaring kids," Kaiwi whispered. She was crying, now, too. She tried to hug Boo again, but Boo ran to the only person left who could help her, Grandpa Crabman. Boo hid behind one of his legs and waited for him to finish talking to Doggy.

"...and he was going to test it out on that sweet, little girl," Sora said, a hint of disgust in his voice.

"Now that we have her," Mike continued, "he is trying to kill us. This whole thing is Randall's fault."

"Randall?" Waternoose asked quickly.

"Yes," Sora answered, relieved that Waternoose believed them. "And we can take you to his secret lab, which is right here in this factory."

"How could this happen?" Waternoose moaned. "Oh, how could this happen?" He looked sidelong at Sora and Mike. "Does anyone else know about this?"

"No, sir," said Mike.

"Good," Waternoose nodded. "This company can't afford any more bad publicity. Now, before we do anything else, let's...take care of the child." He gently picked Boo up. With one last hurt look at Sulley, Boo buried her face in Waternoose's shoulder. Sulley sighed in resolute defeat.

The door into the simulated room was actually a working door frame. As Waternoose pressed a few buttons, the four of them stood in front of it.

"Oh, I never thought things would come to this," Waternoose sighed regretfully, "not in my factory. I'm sorry you all got mixed up in this." He walked behind them so that they were between him and the door. Something didn't feel right about this to Sora. "Especially you, James. But now we can set everything straight again...for the good of the company." That last phrase fell direly on Sora's ears.

The sounds of a door being put in place made them turn. But, a white door with flowers didn't meet their eyes. The door before them was a heavy, iron door. A rank smell entered Sora's nostrils. Randall! He summoned his Keyblade.

Kairi looked alarmed, at the appearance of _Ultima Weapon_ and at the strange door. "Sir, that's not her door."

"I know, I know," Waternoose sighed. Sora faced the door and hunkered into a fighting stance. If Randall was here, and Sora was sure he was, then Sora would be ready for him.

Sora's quarry appeared in front of the door and opened it, a menacing grin on his face. Sora prepared to spring.

"It's yours," Waternoose pronounced as Sora's feet left the ground. The next thing any of them knew, Waternoose had shoved all of them through the door into the snow.

"No!" Sulley and Sora bellowed together, leaping for the door. Waternoose closed it just before Sulley grasped the knob and yanked it open. But it was too late. The power was cut, so the door was just a door, not a portal to the monster world. "No, no, no, no!"

Sora tried using his Keyblade, even though he knew it was useless. He could lock and unlock the door, but he couldn't bring back the power.

"It's too late!" Mike yelled over the howling winds. "We're banished, genius. We're in the human world!" Sulley ignored him and began examining the door frame. "Oh, what a great idea, going to your old pal Waternoose!"

"Mike, stop," said Kairi.

"Too bad he was in on the whole thing!" snarked Mike.

"Shut up, Mike," Sora growled.

"All you had to do was listen to me – just once! But you didn't, did you?" Mike snarled. Sulley just continued to examine the frame halfheartedly, whimpering in despair. "You're still not listening!" Mike tackled Sulley and the two of them went tumbling down the slope.

Sora and Kairi tried to run after them, but they couldn't go much faster without falling themselves. Luckily, Sulley and Mike stopped rolling after a bit. Unluckily, this gave them time to get a few shots at each other. That is, until a shadow stretched over them, followed by a towering figure.

"Welcome to the Himalayas!"

Turns out they'd run into the Abominable Snowman, although he was anything but 'Abominable.' More like 'Adorable' or 'Agreeable.' The cheerful fellow even led them back to the cave that had become his home.

"Snow cone?" Abominable offered. Sora took one look at the yellow coloring and decided to pass. "No, no. Don't worry – it's lemon."

"I'll take one," Kairi said politely, taking the snow cone before settling into Sora's warm arms.

"Mind if we share?" Yuna asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

"Not at all," Kairi smiled.

"Well there's a couple of ladies that know what's good for them," Abominable chuckled. "Uh, how about you, big fella?" he called up to Sulley in the mouth of the cave. "Snow cone?"

"Did you see the way she...looked at me?" Sulley murmured, then covered his face with his hands. Kairi sighed. She wanted to help Sulley, she just didn't know how. After all, she'd been against this scaring business from the start.

"Poor guy," Abominable sighed. "I understand. It ain't easy being banished. Take my buddy, Bigfoot. When he was banished he fashioned an enormous diaper out of poison ivy. Wore it on his head like a tiara. Called himself King Itchy." Whew. Sora itched just thinking about it! "Ah, it won't be so hard for you guys, though, you know. I mean, how lucky can you get? Banished with friends."

"Sulley is _not _my friend," Mike bit.

Kairi gasped, "Mike, don't say that!"

"Let them fight," Sora whispered in her ear.

"How could you say such a thing?" hissed Kairi.

"It'll make them closer," he said simply. Kairi shut her mouth.

"I just assumed you all were buddies," Abominable said, looking quite embarrassed and uncomfortable, "you know, when I saw you there in the snow hugging and all that."

"Look at that big jerk," Mike spat. "Ruined my life, and for what? A stupid kid! Because of you, I am now stuck in this frozen wasteland."

"Wasteland?" scoffed Abominable. "I think you mean wonderland! I mean, how about all this fabulous snow, huh? Oh, and wait until you see the local village. Cutest thing in the world. I haven't even mentioned all the free yak's milk."

"What...what did you say?" Sulley unexpectedly spoke up.

"Yak's milk. Milking a yak ain't exactly a picnic. You know, once you pick the hairs out, it's very nutritious." Sora nearly gagged and felt Kairi shudder against him.

"No, no. Something about a village," Sulley said urgently, getting up in Abominable's face. "Where? Are there kids in it?" He wasn't serious...

"Kids? Sure," Abominable replied easily, even with Sulley puncturing his personal bubble. "Tough kids, sissy kids, kids who climb on rocks..."

"_Where is it?_" Sulley bellowed like a madman on a mission.

"It's at the bottom of the mountain," said Abominable, eyeing Sulley nervously. "Around a three-day hike."

"_Three days?_" Sulley groaned. "We have to get there now!" He pounded the frozen wall with both of his fists, dislodging a shower of icicles. One icicle skidded to the back of the cave and dinked over a ski, coming to rest next to a pile of wooden crates. Sulley grabbed the lantern and began examining the things back there.

"Sulley," Sora said, "you're not thinking of doing what I think you're thinking of doing, are you?" Sulley continued to mess around with the crates and skis. Letting go of Kairi, Sora went up to Sulley and got obnoxiously close to his face. "Are you crazy? There's a blizzard outside! What good will you be to anyone if you freeze to death?"

"You want to go to the village?" Abominable asked incredulously. "Okay, rule number one out here. Always...no...never go out in a blizzard."

"We need to get to Boo," Sulley asserted stubbornly. A lemon snow cone smashed on Sulley's head. Whirling, they saw Abominable with his tray of snow cones pointing at Mike.

"_Boo?_" Mike burst. "What about us?" He chucked another snow cone at Sulley. Sora decided to get out of the line of fire and slowly backed away. "Ever since that kid came in, you've been ignoring everything I've said and now look where we are!" Another snow cone went flying. "Oh, we were about to break the record, Sulley. We would have had it made." Mike prepared to let loose the final snow cone.

"None of that matters now," Sulley muttered, still busily building his sled.

"None of it matter...wait-wait a second. _None _of it matters?" repeated Mike. Sulley sighed heavily. "Okay. That's...no. Good. Great." He threw the snow cone onto the floor. "So, now the truth comes out, doesn't it?" Mike stared blankly at Sulley, neither saying a word. Sora and Kairi just stood silently, waiting for the right time to intervene.

Abominable glanced around at them all awkwardly. "Oh, would you look at that? We're out of snow cones, let me...just go outside and make some more." He got out of there before the daggers started flying.

Mike's face softened into an expression that was slightly hurt. "Sulley, what about everything we ever worked for?" he asked softly. "Does that matter? Huh?" Sulley finally looked over his shoulder at Mike with a tortured face, but quickly turned back. "And what about Celia? I am never...never going to see her again." Kairi gave a muffled sob. "Doesn't that matter?" Sulley eased himself to his feet, revealing his completed, make-shift sled. He laboriously pushed it to the mouth of the cave. "What about me? I'm your pal. I'm-I'm your best friend. Don't I matter?" he pleaded.

Sulley sighed again, his heaviest yet. "I'm sorry, Mike," he muttered tiredly. "I'm sorry we're stuck out here. I didn't mean for this to happen." Everything Sulley was feeling – useless, betrayed, responsible – was crammed into that one sentence. His face became determined, though, as he said more strongly, "But Boo's in trouble. I think there might be a way to save her if we can just get down to that..."

"'We?'" Mike repeated. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. 'We?' No. There's no 'we' this time, pal. I-if-if you want to go out there and freeze to death, you be my guest...because you're on your own." Mike crossed his arms and turned his back on Sulley. Looking hurt and disappointed, Sulley turned resolutely toward the exit.

"No, he's not," Kairi blurted suddenly. Sulley stared at Kairi with an unreadable expression as she walked over to him, a bright, encouraging smile on her face. "We're going with him, aren't we, Sora?" When he remained silent, Kairi glared at him. "_Aren't we?_"

"I don't think we should," he finally mumbled, not meeting her eyes.

Kairi gasped. "Why not?" she demanded. "Randall is controlling the Heartless, probably is one himself. He kidnaps children, sucks the scream out of them, gives that to Waternoose, then keeps their hearts for himself. You're the Master of Light, Sora! It's your job to stop them!"

"No, it's my job to keep the worlds in balance," Sora retorted, his head snapping up. "Which I've failed to do here. We let Boo, a human, into the monster world and threw off the balance. We tried to set things straight and only made them worse. We ruined three lives already, maybe more. Don't you get it, Kairi? _We meddled_. Now this world is screwed up beyond our repair. The best thing we can do is leave. Move on to the next world."

Kairi gaped at Sora, saw the frustration of failure in his face, saw the accusation that threatened to surface. It hurt. "I refuse to believe that," she whispered.

Sora sighed and said, more gently, "Kairi, I've been doing this longer than you have. Please, trust me on this. You're letting your motherly instincts cloud your judgement."

The statement made Kairi's temper flare. "No, Sora, you've just got your Keyblade too far up your ass!" She clambered stubbornly onto Sulley's sled.

Sora winced. His heart felt like it had taken a Rapid Punch. Sulley gave him an apologetic look before pushing the sled into the unforgiving night.

* * *

**New Characters:**

Boo: Monsters, Inc. (2001)


	17. All About the Laughs

Chapter 17: All About the Laughs

The wind whipped through Kairi's feathers as she and Sulley sped down the mountain. Neither had time to dwell on what had just happened. Sulley had to concentrate on steering them past snow drifts and boulders; Kairi just concentrated on staying on the sled.

They zipped around one boulder...two...three... But Sulley didn't see the fourth until one of the runners caught on it. The sled skidded out of control and Sulley and Kairi were sent tumbling down the mountain. After several painful somersaults, Kairi landed on her back in the snow, narrowly avoiding getting skewered by a ski pole.

Despite the protests of her aching, frozen body, Kairi rolled over and crawled to where Sulley lay face down in the snow. "Are you alright?" she screamed over the wind. She gently placed her hands on him and cast Curaga over them both.

"Boo," Sulley muttered hopelessly into the snow, not bothering to lift his head.

Just then, a piercing scream tore through the howling wind. Kairi glanced around for the source and spotted lights winking at them from the next hillside. "The village!" Kairi cried.

Sulley groggily picked himself up and started wading through the snow towards the closest house. He went right up to the door and knocked it in, not even noticing the house's residents staring at them openmouthed.

"Sorry," Kairi apologized sheepishly as she picked her way over the splintered door. Several large pieces of munny were heaved out of Kairi's hip pouch by Yuna. "Here's some munny to replace it."

Sulley reached the closet door just as it was being opened from the other side. "Gangway! Look out! Coming through!" he bellowed, barreling through the unfortunate monster in his way.

Kairi recognized the poor, shaven monster. "Sorry, George!" she called over her shoulder, tossing a Potion at him.

The sea of workers parted for Sulley as he torpedoed down the hallways, Kairi following in his wake. "Out of the way!" The intense look on Sulley's face was enough to move people.

When they reached the secret door, Sulley didn't bother waiting for Kairi; he just ripped the door off its hinges. They bolted down the metal tunnel, gasping as they heard the scream extractor firing up.

"Kitty!" came Boo's desperate call. "Kaiwi! Doggy!"

The cry only urged Sulley on. With a small roar, he charged at the machine. Heartless sprouted around the room and surged towards them, only to meet a flowery end.

"Kitty! Kaiwi!" Boo yelled happily.

"Sullivan?" Waternoose cried in disbelief. He was standing with Randall at the control console. Sulley twisted the scream extractor off its hinge and heaved it at the monsters. Kairi tapped on the restraints as Sora had done and they popped open once again.

"Kitty, Kaiwi," Boo sighed gratefully, reaching her arms out to Kairi and Sulley.

"Sorry, Boo," Sulley apologized, gathering her in his arms.

"Stop them!" commanded Waternoose. More Heartless popped into existence around them.

Kairi saw Boo's door key on the ground and snatched it up. "Sulley, get Boo home," she said, tossing the key at Sulley. "I'll take care of these guys." He hesitated for a moment, then left with Boo, leaving Kairi to face the quickly growing hoard.

She backed away, inching herself into a narrower space of the boiler room. The Heartless followed her, their yellow eyes growing hungrily. Shuddering nervously, Kairi brandished her Keyblade at them. She didn't think she could take them all on her own unless she used her power. But, if she used her power, she'd be a sitting duck, no disrespect for Donald intended.

One jumped at her and she felled it with a well-placed thrust of her Keyblade. Two more went for her legs, only to be burned to a crisp. Now a large number of the Heartless attacked and it was all Kairi could do to defend herself. Each block was a narrower miss than the last. Even with Elizabeth's tutoring, Kairi was nowhere near Sora's skill level and her magic was slowly depleting. The last of her magic went into a Holy spell that wasted the entire front line, but didn't scratch anything beyond that.

She couldn't keep this up. Sighing, she dismissed her Keyblade and raised her hand. At least there was a chance of her survival if she used her power. Hopefully, no more Heartless showed up afterward. She backhanded the air, forcing the Heartless to experience the power of her light. Being creatures of darkness, they couldn't take the light and dissolved in its glory.

Instantly, Kairi crumpled and fell to the ground. Her arms felt like lead and it was a struggle to keep her head up. There must have been a lot of Heartless, or powerful ones, for her to be this tired. She stared into the shadows, hoping with every fiber of her being that no more Heartless lurked there. A low growl rolled out of them, followed by a pair of yellow eyes, then the snarling form of a Heartless Hound. It leaned back on its haunches, preparing to spring.

Kairi closed her eyes, tears rolling slowly down her cheeks. "Sora," she whispered, "I'm sorry."

A sharp bark made her eyes fly open. She saw the Hound spring and braced herself. The next thing she knew, something brown and furry had been shoved up to her nose, obscuring her vision. It was stiff with static from a Thundaga spell. She sneezed.

"Bless you," Sora said. Wait...Sora said? As the last of the Heartless faded, he turned to face her and hauled her to her feet. When it was clear she couldn't stand on her own, Sora shrugged and gathered her in his arms. She gratefully laid her head on his shoulder and wove her fingers into the warm fur on Sora's chest.

"I'm sorry," she murmured again.

Sora did his best to properly kiss her on the forehead with that muzzle of his. It didn't work well, but Kairi appreciated it anyway. "I'm sorry, too," he sighed. "It's just so frustrating. Nothing like this has ever happened before and I don't just feel useless, I feel responsible, too. And..." He made the mistake, then, of looking into Kairi's beautiful eyes. His train of thought was completely derailed by his heart. "I love you."

Her eyes widened slightly, then softened as she smiled lovingly at Sora. "I love you, too," she whispered, cupping a hand around his face. Slowly, they leaned in towards each other, not caring that kissing might be problematic for them in this world.

"I'm being attacked!" Sulley yelled.

Both turned their heads towards the sound, remembering that a world existed around them, a world they were trying to save. Sora sighed and headed in the direction of Sulley's voice, though it seemed that Mike was doing most of the talking at the moment. He was probably apologizing, like Sora had. That's why they'd returned, after all.

They found Sulley, Mike, and Boo near the entrance to the hidden tunnel. Mike was spilling his guts, Boo was cowering behind him, and Sulley was managing to stand stiffly while still looking a bit limp. It almost looked like Sulley was choking...with emotion, that is.

An irritated look crossed Mike's face. "Sulley, I am baring my soul here. The least you could do is pay attention!" Mike aimed a snowball at Sulley's head, but missed. Instead, it went a bit to the right and smashed on something invisible. Sulley's fist swung up to the invisible something and Randall fell from around his neck, knocked out.

Sora scowled guiltily. This whole place reeked of Randall and Sora's nose couldn't distinguish Randall's trail from the general stink. To make up for it, he cast Curaga on Sulley, who had been massaging his neck.

"Hey, look at that," Mike said conversationally, pointing casually, "it's Randall! It's..." His whole body sagged into a priceless expression of realization, his pointed finger wilting. "Oh..."

Sulley didn't miss a beat. "Come on!" he urged, picking up Boo in one arm and grabbing Mike's head with the other as he went. Sora, with Kairi still in his arms, ran after them.

"I'm glad you came back, Mike," Sulley confessed warmly as they turned into the main hallway.

Mike let a playful smirk grow on his face. "Somebody's gotta take care of you, you big hairball."

A terrible, terrifying shriek split the air. Sulley kept moving, but Mike twisted in Sulley's grip and screamed. Celia leapt at him from behind, murder written in every scale of her body. They tumbled ahead for a ways before skidding to a stop.

"Schmoopsie-poo, I really can't talk," Mike grimaced before Sulley snatched him back up. Refusing to give up so easily, Celia latched onto Mike's ankles and ended up being dragged along the floor.

"Please don't be mad at Mike," Kairi said earnestly.

"Yeah..." huffed Sora. "It's not...his fault."

This did little to calm Celia's temper. "Michael, if you don't tell me what's going on right now, we are through!" she snarled. "You hear me? Through!"

"Here's the truth," Mike replied quickly. "You know the kid that they're looking for? Sulley let her in." Celia huffed in disbelief, her hair hissing angrily. "We tried to send her back, but Waternoose had this secret plot and now Randall's right behind us and he's trying to kill us!"

The ugly look on Celia's face sent chills down Sora's spine. "You expect me to believe that pack of lies, Mike Wazowski?" she bit.

With impeccable timing, Boo peeked over Sulley's shoulder, her hood down. "Mike Wazowski," she babbled happily. Celia was so startled that she let go of Mike.

"I love you, Schmoopsie-poo!" called Mike as they turned the last corner onto the scare floor.

"Look out!" "Coming through!" "Move it!" "Sorry. Excuse us."

They dashed to Sulley and Mike's station and Sulley hurriedly swiped Boo's door key.

"There they are!" came Randall's angry yell. The four of them swivelled uneasily towards the entrance and saw Randall surging towards them.

"Attention employees:" Celia's voice calmly echoed over the P. A. system, "Randall Boggs has just broken the all-time scare record."

They all grinned as everyone on the scare floor swarmed Randall to congratulate him, giving them some much needed time. Boo's door was coming incredibly slowly.

"I think Celia forgives you, Mike," Sora remarked, giving Mike an encouraging wink.

Kairi wriggled in Sora's arms a bit, indicating that she wanted down. Sora gently lowered her legs, but kept a grip on her shoulders in case she needed it. Wobbling slightly, she used his arms to balance, then pointed behind them. "There it is!"

Boo's door was inching its way to them on the conveyor belt. Unfortunately, Randall was also moving towards them again, his pace considerably faster than inching. Sulley pressed a large, red button on the door frame's console, causing all the doors on the floor to start returning to the storage room.

"Sulley, what are you doing?" blurted Mike.

"Grab on!" Sulley yelled back, clambering onto the door that was rising on their left.

"Are you out of your..." Mike began, quickly grabbing onto Sulley's tail. The end of his sentence was lost in a scream as the door's speed increased abruptly.

Hurriedly, Sora gripped Kairi tightly under her arms and leapt at the door on their right. His free hand barely caught the top of the door and he scrambled to get a decent foothold. Kairi's arms wrapped around his neck and her talons also groped for a firm foothold. Soon they were being whisked away through a metal tunnel, right behind Sulley and Mike.

"Sulley, what are we doing?" Mike cried desperately.

"We have to get Boo's door and find a station," Sulley answered easily.

"You make it sound easy," Sora snorted. He rolled his eyes since Riku wasn't there to do it.

"Oh, yes. It's quite a plan, isn't it?" said Mike, easily adding to Sora's comment. "Simple, yet insane!"

"It can't be that hard," Kairi tried, though she sounded skeptical as well. "Boo's door is just in front of you, right?"

"Yeah," Sulley replied.

The tunnel ended abruptly and the group found themselves in a large room. How large? Forget Beast's ballroom; his entire castle could fit in here ten times over! The place was filled with doors for every kid alive and thousands of conveyor belts snaked around the room, moving the doors to their destinations.

"Woah..." Sora breathed, stunned by the overwhelming size of the door warehouse.

"Oh, no," Kairi groaned just before their belt declined a bit, sending them rocketing down the track. It wove in and out, under and over, nearly crashing into other doors as it joined a massive highway of conveyor belts. Then, it ramped off the highway, only to go down an even steeper decline. Poor Jiminy flew out of Sora's pocket and only saved himself by grabbing Sora's necklace. Kairi rescued the cricket and placed him safe in her pouch. Boo, on the other hand, was having the time of her life. The wild roller coaster ride had her screaming in excitement, which caused the red light on top of the door to blink to life.

"I'm gonna be sick. I'm gonna be sick," Mike muttered. Thankfully, the track leveled out a bit as they turned a gentle corner.

"Oh, no," Mike cried. Up ahead was a wall of doors, neatly racked until their next use. Before that, though, the doors were being separated, going down one of ten possible tracks. Boo's door went down the first path, of course. Sulley and Mike's door went down the second path, shortly followed by Sora and Kairi's door. At least the door that Randall had managed to ride was going down a different path entirely.

"Boo's door?" Sulley demanded urgently, squinting at the millions of doors in front of them.

"There it is!" Kairi yelled, pointing to a spot down and to the left.

Mike looked hopelessly at the spot. "How are we supposed to get to it now?" he burst.

Their doors entered a relatively empty rack, taking them clear to the back at least twenty doors deep. "Dead end," Sora sighed as their doors shuddered to halts.

Looking back over Sora's shoulder, Kairi gasped, "Randall." Sure enough, the murderous monster was slithering toward them.

"Make her laugh," Sulley commanded wildly, shoving Boo at Mike.

"What?" Mike asked.

"Just do it!" yelled Sulley.

"But..."

An idea came to Sora. Letting go of Kairi briefly to reach around their door, he summoned his Keyblade and poked Mike in the eye with it. Boo began giggling, softly at first, but the volume multiplied rapidly as the sound echoed in the massive warehouse. It was answered by a soft whirring for each and every door as it turned on.

"Come on," he told Kairi, opening their door and dragging her through it. He shut it, and not a moment too soon. With a grin, Sora heard Randall slam into the other side of the door.

"Now what?" Kairi asked.

"We find another door," Sora replied.

They ran out of a small, thatched hut to find themselves in a hot, steamy rainforest. More huts spread around them in a small village. It was not a place meant for anything furred, regarding the temperature and humidity both.

Sora opened the next door and nearly plunged to his death. He pinwheeled for a moment, then Kairi grabbed him by the tail and yanked him back.

"So that's what a tail's for," Sora mused jokingly. Kairi chuckled at him before both of them carefully peered out.

Sulley and Mike were to their right as they looked out. "Look!" Sulley shouted, pointing up to a spot between them. "Boo's door."

Sora reached for one of the doors above them and used the door knob to help drag Kairi up after him. They came out in a small apartment room. Kairi took a quick glance out the window.

"Wow," she breathed. Curious, Sora peeked out, too. They were about fifteen stories up and weren't even close to being near the top. The shortest building looked to be thirty stories at least. The streets below them were filled with honking cars. Cars were a rare sight on the islands, but they weren't unheard of.

"What's an 'N-Y?'" Yuna asked innocently, poking out of Kairi's pouch.

"No idea," Sora answered.

The next door was flying along one of the conveyor belts. Ahead of them, Mike and Sulley dropped down a row and then jumped onto a maintenance platform as they passed it. Sora and Kairi were moving far too fast, so they had to make it in one jump. Sora went first, so he could catch Kairi, but found he didn't need to. She just spread out her arms and used her feathers to gently glide to the platform.

"I'm good at jumping," she giggled as she landed, tapping his nose lightly with a finger. "Remember?" Sora just grinned goofily.

"Come on!" Sulley urged, indicating a door lying flat on the ground.

Mike glanced over his shoulder at Randall, working his way to the platform. "Hurry up! Keep moving!" He jumped straight into the door.

"Get inside," said Sulley, beckoning them forward. Kairi went first, then Sora. He went through the door feet first and felt gravity tugging them down. Then the gravity shifted abruptly and he felt it pull on his back side, slamming his back down, right on top of Kairi.

Sulley came through the door next and landed on top of all of them. Looking a bit stunned, he lay there for a moment before realizing who he was on and hastily getting up.

"Sorry, guys," Sulley mumbled, looking extremely apologetic as Sora got off of Kairi and Kairi got off of Mike. Poor Mike babbled incoherently and staggered after them.

Sulley was the first through the next door and he dropped out of sight a moment later. Concerned, Sora ran forward to see that they were on yet another speeding belt and Sulley had only dropped to a door below. Sora hopped onto the door behind Sulley, shortly followed by Kairi. Mike, however, hung back. When Randall appeared in the threshold, Mike slammed the door on his head.

"I hope that hurt, lizard boy!" he jeered before joining Sulley, laughing triumphantly.

The victory was short lived, though, as Randall appeared above Sulley and Mike. He snatched Boo away from Sulley and, grinning evilly, he unlatched the door from the belt.

"No!" Sora cried, watching as Sulley and Mike plummeted downward. Horrified, he saw them struggle to wrench the door open and get inside. The door slammed closed a split second before it splintered on the floor. Sora sighed in relief; they'd made it.

He was so preoccupied with Sulley and Mike that he didn't notice Kairi preparing to leap at Randall until the door swung backward as Kairi pushed off. She met Randall as he moved to another door and began struggling with him, trying to grab Boo and get her to safety without either of them falling. For several heart-stopping moments, Kairi teetered on the edge of the doorframe, only holding on by her talons. With one last effort, Kairi managed to wrestle Boo away before losing her footing entirely.

Sora reacted without thinking. He dove straight for them. Kairi had curled her entire body around Boo, attempting to shield the girl as they fell. Her feathers did nothing to slow them, wrapped around the child like they were. Sora's path met theirs at an angle and he curled around Kairi just like she was doing with Boo. The collision caused just enough spin for Sora's head to rotate down, so that he was upside-down in the air. It also brought their combined path straight at a door. The wood gave as Sora's back rammed into it. He skidded across the carpet and crashed into a bookcase.

He tried to move, but he'd landed with Kairi on top of him and didn't have the strength to roll her off. It seemed she was unconscious, which didn't help matters. His lungs were starting to burn with the effort of breathing while Kairi's weight was on him, making his throbbing head swim. He felt rather than saw Boo squeeze out from between them and clamber to the floor. She whimpered just as Sora picked up Randall's foul stench. Redoubling his efforts, Sora summoned _Ultima Weapon_. He'd just managed to get Kairi off when his world faded to black.

Boo got very scared when she saw Doggy stop moving. "Doggy," she said, shaking him a little. He needed to get up. The Scary Lizard was here! Why wouldn't he get up and protect her? She ran around to Kaiwi and started shaking her. Kaiwi made a funny noise, but wouldn't get up either.

"Your precious Keyblade Wielders can't protect you now," the Scary Lizard said. Something made a crash outside and the Scary Lizard looked out the door. Then, he disappeared.

A second later, Kitty jumped through the door. "Kitty!" Boo said. She ran towards him, but the Scary Lizard hit Kitty and Kitty rolled out the door. He stopped himself from falling by grabbing onto the edge.

The Scary Lizard walked over to Kitty and laughed at him hanging there. "Look at everybody's favorite scarer now! You stupid, pathetic waste!" The Scary Lizard stomped on Kitty's fingers, like they do in cartoons, and one of Kitty's hands let go. Boo started crying. Maybe that would help Kitty try harder to save her. He _would_ save her. He _had _to. Because then, he'd save himself, too.

The Scary Lizard started talking again, "You've been number one for too long, Sullivan." He stomped on Kitty's other hand and some of his fingers slid off the door. "Now your time is up!" It wasn't working! Kitty was going to fall! "And don't worry. I'll take good care of the kid." No. Kitty wouldn't fall, not while Boo was there to save him.

Doggy's Key was still in his hand, so Boo took it and ran at the Naughty Lizard. She jumped on his head and pulled his funny hair stuff. It made him turn funny colors. Then, Boo started hitting him with the Key, which made him turn even more colors! This made the Naughty Lizard almost as funny as Mike Wazowski. Almost. She was having so much fun that she didn't even notice that Doggy had woken up.

Sora shook his head in amusement. Boo wielded his Keyblade well considering she was only a toddler. Now he _really _wanted to see what she'd be like when she was older. He cast Curaga and gently started shaking Kairi.

Sulley took over for Boo and grabbed Randall roughly around the neck, using his other hand to restrain Randall's squirming lower half. Seeing that her help was no longer needed, Boo turned back to Sora and Kairi, babbling happily when she realized they were awake.

"Why does Boo have your Keyblade?" Kairi asked groggily. Boo giggled, obviously very pleased with herself.

"She was saving us all from Randall," beamed Sora, standing and helping Kairi to her feet. "Isn't that right?" Boo nodded once enthusiastically, then offered the Keyblade to Sora. He shook his head. "You keep it, for now. You earned it."

Boo squealed in delight and turned the Keyblade on Randall, still struggling in Sulley's massive grip. Bashing Randall on the head, Boo roared at him.

"She's not scared of you anymore," Sulley said proudly. The little ham roared and hit Randall, again. An almost evil grin split Sulley's face, showing all of his teeth. "Looks like you're out of a job, Randall."

* * *

Mike propped a door up against a railing on one of the platforms, swinging it open. "All right, come on, over the plate," he coached, dropping into a catcher's stance. "Let's see the ol' stuff here, pal." Sulley began rocking Randall backward and forward, preparing to toss him. "Come on, now, chuck him, chuck him, baby. Hum, baby. Hum, baby. Here's the pitch!" Randall flew over Mike's head with a scream. "And he is outta here!" He shut the door, jerking his thumb back like an umpire would.

Sulley immediately went up and punched out the red light. For extra measure, Sora and Kairi both locked the door with their Keyblades.

"Care to do the honors, Mikey?" Sulley asked, stepping aside with a small bow.

"With pleasure," he replied simply. With a smug smile on his face, Mike tipped the door over the railing. They all watched as it fell spectacularly through the air and smashed on the ground below. Boo babbled something stern at it.

"That's right, Boo," Kairi cooed, patting her on the head. "You did it."

"Way to go, kid," Sora congratulated, lightly brushing his fist over her cheek. "You beat him." The cheeky little thing blew a raspberry.

"Come on," said Sulley, walking away.

* * *

Sulley grabbed the door frame around Boo's door and hauled himself up to sit on the rack. "Okay, Boo, it's time to go home," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

Kairi was lifted up with help from Sora, who clambered up a moment later, followed by Mike. "Take care of yourself, and be a good girl, okay?" Kairi added.

Reaching for the door knob, Mike eased the door open. Beyond it...was the door behind it. "Oh, no!" gasped Mike.

"The power's out!" Sulley observed. "Make her laugh again."

Mike's whole body lit up with excitement. "All right, Sora, I got a move for us here. It'll bring down the house." He crooked a finger at Sora and Sora leaned an ear down to him. Mike began hurriedly whispering in Sora's ear.

"Uh-huh," Sora nodded. "Okay." Then, his ears shot straight up and his paws moved toward his groin. "Nuh-uh. No way! I won't do it," he said, shaking his head emphatically.

"Aw, come on!" Mike pleaded.

"No! I cannot, in good conscience, do that to another guy." He folded his arms resolutely.

"That's the spirit!" Jiminy's muffled voice said from Kairi's pouch.

"Fine," Mike snapped, swiping a hand in Sora's direction. "I'll do it myself." Sora reached out an arm to stop Mike as he balanced on a beam, but quickly threw it over his head when Mike started flipping. He got two turns in before landing, the beam catching him between the legs with a gong-like hum. Sora winced.

Sulley glanced expectantly at Boo, then flinched and pulled Boo's hood back. "Oh, sorry, she didn't see that."

"_What?_" Mike screeched, his voice cracking, making Sora wince again. "What'd you do, forget to check if her stupid hood was up, ya big dope?" he bit, standing shakily, his legs bowing outward.

Boo crossed her arms and frowned at Mike. "Uncle Mike, try not to yell in front of her," Sulley said in a singsong voice. "You know we still need her to laugh."

"Right," Mike sang back, climbing back on the door frame. "Hey, Boo, just kidding. Look!" He smashed his face between the door and the frame, making a funny face that Donald and Goofy would be proud of. "Funny, right?" Wrong.

"How about this?" Kairi asked, reaching over to scratch behind Sora's ears again. This time, Sora didn't bother restraining his leg and it started thumping the ground happily. Still nothing.

"These are the jokes, kid," Mike deadpanned.

Suddenly, Boo's door lurched forward and all of them scrambled onto it before it began zooming down the belt. Getting the four of them on there was no mean feat, either.

"What's going on?" Kairi wondered nervously as they entered the tunnel to the scare floor. They'd rearranged themselves so that they were all on the backside of the door. Mike climbed from Sulley's arm to his shoulder briefly and peered over the top.

"Great!" he huffed. "A welcoming committee. What are we going to do?"

"I have an idea," Kairi inserted, shoving her head under Sora's arms – she was sandwiched between Sora and the door. She hurriedly began whispering instructions.

The door slowly lowered into the station and the power was cut. "This is the CDA. Come out slowly with the child in plain sight."

"Okay, okay," Mike sighed in defeat as he and Sora ambled around the door. Boo's purple costume clashed marvelously with Mike as he clutched it to his green body. "You got us. Here we are. Here's the kid. We're cooperating."

"But.." Sora began, raising his hands in a pleading surrender, "before you take us away, we have one thing to say:" Mike gagged up a sock. "Catch!" He threw it at a CDA member.

"23-19!" the others shouted, piling on the misfortunate casualty. "We have a toxic projectile!" Mike and Sora took the opportunity to run back towards the warehouse, bringing the CDA squad with them.

Meanwhile, Sulley and Kairi crouched behind the door, keeping an eye on the decostumed Boo. When the coast was clear, they grabbed Boo's door and headed in the other direction, towards the hallway labyrinth. They glanced backward to make sure no one saw them...and ran straight into some scream canisters.

Waternoose glanced around at the noise and saw them. "Come back!" he called after the CDA. "He has the child!" When it was clear that no one was heeding his call, he snarled and ran after them himself.

They ran so fast that Kairi couldn't tell which way they were going, and it still wasn't fast enough. Waternoose was gaining on them with every step. Having six legs instead of two definitely gave him an advantage.

They burst through a set of double doors into a large room that looked vaguely familiar, but Kairi was far too concerned with escaping Waternoose to pay it a second thought. Slamming the doors, Kairi locked them with her Keyblade, right before Waternoose rammed into them.

"Open this door!" he bellowed, pounding on the door. "Open this door!"

"Nice one!" grinned Sulley, turning away from the door and heading towards a door station in the room. Oh! They'd arrived at their destination. Hopefully the rest of Kairi's plan went as smoothly.

A particularly heavy blow on the door caused dust to sprinkle down from the ceiling. "Yeah, but it won't do us any good if he breaks the whole thing down."

With a final click, Sulley got the door in place and turned the power on. Hurriedly, they entered and shut the door with a loud, defiant bang.

"I think we stopped him, Boo," Sulley said quietly, tucking sheets around the child in the bed. "You're safe now."

"You be a good girl, okay?" Kairi cooed. The door shut behind them and they spun around to see Waternoose glaring menacingly at them.

"This has gone far enough," Waternoose boomed.

Kairi stepped forward. "She's home now! Just leave her alone!" she pleaded desperately, throwing an arm back protectively.

"I can't do that!" he asserted hotly. His voice dropped threateningly, "She's seen too much. You all have." He swelled ominously. It took every ounce of control Kairi could muster to stick to her plan and not summon her Keyblade right then and there.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Sulley put in calmly.

Waternoose cut him off, a mad look in his eyes. "I have no choice! Times have changed. Scaring isn't enough anymore."

"_But_ _kidnapping children?_" Kairi blurted, angry tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

"I'll kidnap a thousand children before I let this company die," Waternoose boldly declared, "and I'll silence anyone who gets in my way!" In one swift motion, he backhanded both of them, sending them across the room. He roughly grabbed the kid under the covers, who wasn't actually a kid at all...

"Good night, Mom."

Waternoose gasped in confusion.

"Good night, sweetheart."

"What, wh-what is this?" he spluttered, blinking as a wall began rising to: "Simulation terminated. Simulation terminated."

Mike was sitting at the controls for the simulation room, Sora standing at his shoulders, his arms crossed cockily and a smug grin on his face. The CDA squad was gathered around them.

Sora turned lazily to Mike. "Is it just me, or did Mr. Waternoose make several big mistakes?" he drawled.

"Right you are, Sora," Mike chattered on. "Let's watch my favorite part again...shall we?" He swivelled gloatingly towards the monitors and rewound the recording.

"I'll kidnap a thousand children before I let this company die..."

The CDA members began muttering among each other as Mike played the clip again. Waternoose just kept sputtering in confusion. Sora dragged his thumb across his chin in triumph.

Boo began crawling out from her hiding spot behind the bed and babbled happily. Kairi and Sulley both shushed her and she withdrew again.

"I'll get him," a CDA member said. Two of them moved forward and grabbed Waternoose's arms, dragging him away. Momentarily stunned, Waternoose let them carry him a few steps. Then, he laughed darkly and a ring of darkness burst from him. Kairi jumped in front of Sulley and Boo, casting Reflega, Sora doing the same for Mike. The CDA members weren't as fortunate. They were flung towards the walls and didn't get back up.

_Heartless problem? We don't have a Heartless problem..._ No one had told Waternoose what Heartless were...

"I told you I've put my whole heart into this company," Waternoose said, that strange gleam in his eye again. A dark aura began emanating from him and Sora gasped. Randall wasn't the Heartless! He was just another pawn. Sora leapt at Waternoose, summoning _Ultima Weapon_ and raising it over his head. Waternoose just grinned evilly and blasted Sora out of the air.

"Astan gave me power so that I could capture children, collect their screams, and deliver the hearts to him," he continued, his mad gaze sweeping towards Boo hungrily. Kairi and Sully both stepped in front of her, like a pair of protective parents. Waternoose surveyed them briefly, then swivelled to Sora again. "Imagine what he will say when I deliver him the bodies of a Princess and the Master of Light."

Waternoose snapped his fingers and Dusks appeared at his side. Sora gaped. _A Heartless controlling Nobodies?_ It had to be Astan's doing, which meant Astan had control of the Heartless _and _the Nobodies, not to mention his own sick creations. What a comforting thought...

Sora got up and faced the Dusks, ready to perform a Reversal as soon as they attacked. But, they never did. Waternoose destroyed them all first. Huh...?

All the fur on Sora's body stood on end as the remains of the Nobodies turned dark. Laughing insanely, Waternoose threw out his arms and let the dark wisps collect on his body before bursting into dark flame. It flickered away after a few moments, revealing Waternoose's Halfhearted.

Magic swelled around Waternoose and he pointed at Sora and Kairi. White fog blossomed around them, entering their nostrils and mouths whenever they breathed. It seemed to coat their vocal chords, as if they had nasal congestion that was dripping into their throats.

Kairi pointed Radiating Garden at Waternoose and mouthed, "Blizzaga!" Sora stared at her. Why did she mouth it? She knew she had to actually say the spell to cast it. When her free hand flew to her throat, Sora frowned worriedly. He opened his mouth to say the spell, but no sound came out.

"I told you I'd Silence anyone that got in my way, too," Waternoose cackled.

"Drat!" Yuna exploded angrily, her voice sounding clearly through the fabric of Kairi's pouch. "I left all my Echo Herbs in my other dimension."

Sora's heart sank. They couldn't cast magic! Feverishly, Sora emptied his pockets in Mike's lap and charged Waternoose. A leg literally extended towards him and kicked him away before he got within striking distance. Undeterred, Sora charged again, joined by Sulley and Kairi. Two legs caught Sulley and Kairi in their chests, but Sora managed to dodge the one coming for him. Another instantly shot at Sora, catching him by surprise, and flung him back yet again. They were outlegged. How could they fight Waternoose when they couldn't get near him for close-ranged attacks and couldn't cast spells for long-ranged attacks?

"Boo!" Boo shouted. She'd run up behind Waternoose completely unnoticed. A leg stretched for her as Waternoose spun around, nearly tripping on that same leg. But Boo easily scampered under him, through the forest of legs, and ended up behind him again.

"Boo!" she shouted again. This time, two legs tried to get her, but she danced around them just as easily. "Boo!" she shouted a third time, ducking under Waternoose. His legs tried to follow her, but got tangled amongst each other. When Waternoose twisted to face Boo, he toppled onto his side, dazed. Sora, Kairi, and Sulley all seized the opportunity and wailed on him.

For a while, the hits landed as if Waternoose was solid. Then, his eyes focused again and a look of concentration passed over his face. The next blow that Sora landed was swallowed in Waternoose's shifting bulk and _Ultima Weapon_ stuck where it had landed. Another ring of darkness blasted them all back, including Boo. Sulley managed to keep her from smashing into anything, but the spell knocked the poor tike out cold.

Mike emptied a Mega-Potion on all of them, a worried look on his face. "You guys alright?" he called.

"Fine," answered Sulley, gently placing Boo in a safe spot behind the bed. Sora and Kairi both gave him a thumbs up.

Sora's mind tumbled. What could they do? They'd only managed to damage Waternoose when Boo had managed to throw him for a loop, and now she was unconscious. He growled soundlessly in frustration. His magic clamored in the back of his mind, begging to be used. Since he couldn't cast spells, though, there was no way to use it. No, wait...there _was _a way.

As if on cue, Kairi's eyes locked with his. They'd both had the same thought. Limits didn't need to be spoken aloud. Grinning triumphantly, they cast Holy Love. Waternoose's pained screeches echoed loudly around the room. The Limit left him stunned, so they even managed to get some combos in before Waternoose countered again with a dark ring.

"That. Was. AMAZING!" Mike blurted excitedly, forgetting about items entirely. He hopped over to Sora, looking at him eagerly. "Can you do something like that with anyone?"

An annoyed scowl on his face, Sora reached into his pocket and took out the most precious restorative item he owned. There wasn't anyone else he would trust with it...well, maybe Riku, but definitely not Donald or Goofy. A Megalixir. With his health and magic restored, Sora nodded at Mike.

"Good, because I have an idea." Mike whispered hurriedly in Sora's ear, Sora's grin spreading with every word. When Mike finished, he quickly repeated his idea to Sulley and Kairi.

Mike hopped back up to the control panel and dimmed the lights. "Good evening, Monstropolis!" he began in a radio announcer's voice. "It's now five after the hour of 6:00 P. M. in the monster city." The four of them melted into the shadows, leaving Waternoose to stare nervously around. "And you know what that means... It's time for Dueling Monsters!"

Sora, Kairi, and Sulley began prowling around, magically concealed in the shadows. "Scary feet, scary feet, scary feet..." Mike chanted. Waternoose wheeled around wildly, trying to find the source of the quite padding. But, they were too good. Waternoose couldn't pinpoint them.

"Sora!" Mike called. Sora leapt out of the shadows and began slashing at a bewildered Waternoose. When Mike began chanting 'scary feet' again, Sora folded back into the shadows.

"Kairi!"

Now Kairi emerged and pounded on Waternoose until the 'scary feet' chant began again.

"Sulley!"

"...scary feet, scary feet, scary feet..."

"Together!"

They unleashed a massive triple-sided attack.

"Well done, contestants," Mike announced. "And the results are in. The loser is...Waternoose! Boys, tell him what he's won."

Sulley and Sora jumped forward once more, roaring terrifyingly. Each second, Waternoose weakened until it looked like one more hit would defeat him. Then, Boo came running out of the shadows, Radiating Garden in her hands, and dashed under Waternoose. With a fierce battle cry, she thrust the Keyblade into Waternoose's underside.

Waternoose's body began disintegrating just as Sora's throat cleared. The sparkling heart, freed at last, drifted serenely into the sky and off to Kingdom Hearts. Sora watched it contentedly, then sighed tiredly and plopped onto his rump. Giggling happily, Boo jumped into his lap.

"Nice job, kiddo," he praised, rubbing her head and messing up her hair. Sulley came over to him as Mike brought the lights back up and offered one hand to Sora, wrapping the other around Boo. As Kairi and Mike came over, the CDA members began stirring. The four of them clustered together protectively.

"Stay where you are," a CDA member ordered. "Number One wants to talk to you."

"Attention!" The CDA members came to attention, outlining a path to the double doors. Another squad filed in, stepping to the side as they came through the door, joining the ranks. The four of them watched in apprehension as the last yellow suit moved away to reveal this 'Number One.'

"Hello, boys," Roz greeted in that monotone wheeze. "And girls," she added as an afterthought.

"Roz?" they all breathed.

The doors clanged shut behind her and she looked sternly at the group. "Two and a half years of undercover work were almost wasted when you intercepted that child," she informed them bluntly. They all squirmed uncomfortably. She continued more positively, "Of course, without your help, I never would have known that this went all the way up to Waternoose."

She turned her stare on Sora and Kairi. Then, her lips curled into a knowing grin. "Even if we'd known about Waternoose, there's no way we could have defeated him. There hasn't been a Keyblade Wielder in this sector for almost sixteen years."

Sora gaped at her, then huffed indignantly, "Why didn't you believe me before?"

An eyebrow rose. "You never said you were a Wielder," Roz stated. "You just said you could get rid of the Heartless. How was I supposed to know you weren't a Heartless yourself?"

Sora raised a finger in protest and opened his mouth to object, then closed it and rubbed his head sheepishly. "Good point," he conceded cheerily.

"But, how do you know about the Keyblade?" Kairi asked.

"I am a servant of the world order," replied Roz. "I dedicated my life to preserving the order of this world, as others have done for other worlds. Of course, to do our jobs correctly, we are given certain knowledge of the ways of the worlds. That is why I know that it is a high honor to meet a Princess of Heart and the Master of Light, ultimate servants of the worlds." She bent slightly at the waist, giving them a small bow.

After she straightened, Roz shifted her attention to Boo. "Now...about the girl..."

The four of them looked at each other in silent agreement. "We just want to send her home," Sulley whispered for them all.

"Very good," Roz nodded. She spoke into a device on her wrist, "Bring me a door shredder."

"What, you mean.." stammered Sulley, "you mean, I can't see her again?"

Roz sighed sadly, actually displaying emotion, for once. "I'm sorry, but, for the good of the world order, that's the way it has to be. I'll give you five minutes."

They somberly gathered around Boo's door, still in the station, as Sulley turned the power on. Almost awkwardly, Mike tapped Boo on the shoulder. "Well, so long, kid," he said, holding out a hand for her to shake.

"Mike Wazowski!" she smiled, hugging Mike instead.

Mike stiffened, then gave in and hugged her back. "Ah, Boo, it's been fun."

Boo looked up at Sora next and he crouched down to her level. "Kick some bad-guy butt for me when you grow up, okay?" Sora half-teased. What? The kid had potential. Boo proved this when she gave a solid punch to Sora's nose. He just grinned proudly and gave her a huge hug.

Sulley and Kairi each took one of Boo's hands and led her through the door. Seeing her room, Boo squealed excitedly and broke away, gathering some toys to show them.

"Oh, look at that," Sulley said as a bear was shoved into his hands.

Kairi was given a cowgirl doll. "Oh, that's cute, yeah."

After several more toys, Sulley growled playfully, "Come here, you!" He picked her up and swung her through the air, ending her flight on the bed. Kairi went over and began pulling the covers up.

Grinning brightly, Sulley grabbed the bear and sang, "Oh, he's a happy bear..."

Boo giggled as Sulley tucked the bear in with her. Pointing at the closet, she babbled something in a firm tone.

"Nothing's coming out of your closet to scare you anymore, right?" Kairi cooed, trying to keep her voice from quivering. Boo nodded. "Good-bye, Boo," Kairi said, giving the girl a hug. Boo gazed at her sadly, but nodded again. It seemed like Boo knew that Kairi was needed elsewhere.

"Good-bye, Boo," Sulley whispered next, smiling sadly.

Boo looked down, then placed her tiny hands on Sulley's massive paw. "Kitty," she murmured, looking pleadingly into his eyes. She didn't seem to understand why Sulley couldn't stay with her.

"Kitty has to go," Sulley sighed heavily. Boo stood up in her bed and gave Sulley the longest hug of all. When they finally broke apart, Sulley and Kairi tucked her back under the covers and walked toward the door. They looked back briefly from the threshold, then sadly left, closing the door behind them.

Sora, Kairi, Sulley, and Mike watched painfully as the CDA shredded Boo's white door with the flowers on it.

"None of this ever happened," Roz wheezed, turning away. She did a double-take and added, "And I don't want to see any paperwork on this." They watched her go blandly.

Suddenly, Mike stooped to the ground. He came back up with a large splinter of Boo's door in his fingers. Mutely, he dropped it in Sulley's paw. Sulley sighed glumly and curled his fingers around it.

* * *

Sora took a deep breath of fresh air and stretched in the sunlight. Nothing could cure the blues like the great outdoors. Kairi seemed to agree. She smiled and put her arms around Sora. The other M. I. employees, gathered on the sidewalk, didn't seem to share this opinion as they watched the CDA vehicles role away.

"I bet we get the rest of the day off," one of the teenage monsters said excitedly.

"You idiot!" the other bit, cuffing the first one over the head. "They're going to shut down the factory!" Everyone gasped.

Mike came out, followed by a morose Sulley. "I'm telling you, pal, when that wall went up, you should have seen the look on Waternoose's face," Mike chattered on. "Woo-hoo, I hope we get a copy of that tape."

As the four of them began walking down the street, Mike finally noticed the dark cloud over Sulley's head. "Hey, are you alright?" Sulley twitched his head a bit in acknowledgment. "Come on, pal, cheer up, we did it!"

"Yeah," Sora smiled brightly, "we got Boo home."

"Ah, sure," rambled Mike, "we put the factory in the toilet, and...gee, hundreds of people will be out of work now." Mike grabbed his head in dismay. "Not to mention the angry mob that'll come after us when there's no more power..."

"Aw, come on, guys!" Sora whined. "You gotta try and think positive!"

"Positive, eh?" Mike mused, stroking his chin. "Well, at least we had some laughs, right?" Sulley stopped walking momentarily, a thoughtful look on his face, then continued.

Mike turned to Sora and Kairi. "So, are you guys going to be sticking around much longer?"

"No," Sora sighed. This was always the hardest part. "Our help is needed elsewhere."

"Figured as much," he replied, then looked at them curiously. "Say, how _do _you guys get around?"

Sora grinned. It wouldn't hurt to show them, not anymore. Looking into his heart, Sora summoned a door of light. It was so bright, Mike and Sulley had to cover their eyes.

"Geez, it's always so flashy with you two," chortled Mike. He smiled at them fondly and offered them a wave.

"See you around," said Sulley, finally emerging from his depression to wave, too.

Smiling warmly, Sora and Kairi waved as they stepped through the portal. As the last of Monstropolis faded, they heard Sulley mutter, "Laughs..."


	18. Heartless Mathemagic

Chapter 18: Heartless Mathemagic

"Good luck, everyone," Mickey said before turning the Commsphere off. Then, he jumped as the Commsphere beeped several times in rapid succession. "Oh, no!" he gasped. "I didn't break it, did I?"

"Relax," Paine sighed impatiently. "It just means that there are new journal entries." She brought the new articles up for everyone to see. The three Disney Castle inhabitants began reading in silence, their eyes moving back and forth in tandem.

"Oh, no!" Donald quacked as he finished reading the section on Port Royal.

"Jack..." Goofy muttered sadly. "He'd just managed to get his hands on a Keyblade, too."

"Never mind that, look at this," Mickey commanded nervously, pointing at the article on Traverse Town.

Paine peered in interest at the section of that article devoted to Yukari. "I think I like her," she mused. "Her weapon looks fascinating, too."

Mickey shook his head. "Not Yukari. I meant the Keyhole."

"What about it?" asked Donald, skimming over the enemies that had been added.

"It was unsealed."

"Unsealed?" Goofy repeated. "Well, gawrsh, yer Majesty, that's impossible. Sora sealed that there Keyhole. Yup, I know he did."

Donald now scrutinized the battle with Berserk Armor, peering down his bill at the words. "It sure sounds like it was unsealed," he remarked uneasily. "Do you think it means anything, your Majesty?"

Mickey folded his arms and sighed heavily. "I don't know."

"Worrying about it isn't going to solve anything," Paine said with a hint of impatience in her voice. "We should keep going."

"Paine's right," Mickey piped up. "Let's go."

They set off down the unmarked gray path that cut through the black landscape. Darkness stretched far ahead of them and darkness followed in their wake. Only darkness. They'd walked this path for the past hour without seeing anything except darkness, darkness, and more darkness.

After a few more minutes of walking, Goofy rubbed his hands together nervously. "Yer Majesty, where exactly are we going?"

"Not sure," Mickey answered.

"We're lost?" moaned Donald, his bill quivering.

"Nope," Mickey replied brightly. "See, the thing about the Realm of Darkness is that if you keep on walkin', you'll eventually get where you need to go."

"If you say so," Paine huffed skeptically. She flew up to Goofy's hat and settled comfortably in its folds. "Tell me when we get there."

They continued on like this for a time until Goofy noticed something on the ground. "Huh?" he said, scratching his head. He bent down to examine the path, dislodging Paine in the process. With an irritated cry, Paine landed in the middle of a zero.

"What is it, Goofy?" Donald asked.

"Looks like somebody's been writin' on the ground over here," Goofy concluded, gesturing towards the digits. The string of numbers created its own path. Putting his nose to the ground, Goofy began following it, the others following him curiously. "They left us a trail of numbers to follow instead of breadcrumbs, a-hyuck!"

Hunched as he was, Goofy didn't notice that the trail veered off the edge of the gray path. "Goofy, watch out!" Mickey cried as Goofy's feet traveled over the brink.

"Watch out for what?" Goofy asked, continuing over the side. He didn't appear to notice that he was now somehow standing on the darkness. Shrugging, Goofy looked down. "Yah, hoo, hoo, hooyyyyyyyy!" he cried, leaping up and landing in Donald's arms. The poor duck wobbled under his weight before collapsing onto the ground.

Paine sniffed at the two in amusement and went to inspect the path of numbers. She hovered above it at first, scrutinizing it carefully, then dropped down and walked a ways on it. "Whatever this is, it's solid," she informed them. "No telling where it leads, though."

"What should we do, yer Majesty?" Goofy asked, rolling off of Donald. The duck quacked indignantly, brushing his feathers off, but looked expectantly at the king as well.

Hesitating only a moment, Mickey decided, "Let's see where this number trail goes." He strolled after Paine, Goofy and Donald tottering behind him.

"Mighty strange," Donald muttered into the gloom, then blinked rapidly. "And mighty familiar..."

"What's that?" Paine asked suddenly, pointing ahead of them. A strange creature was walking backward along the path, its nose to the ground. As they drew closer to it, they saw that it resembled a bird, only its body was a triangular straightedge and its head was a pencil. So this bird thing was responsible for the number trail.

Goofy approached the creature with a friendly smile on his face. Looking up at him curiously, the creature drew a tic-tac-toe board on the ground and put an X in one of the boxes. His tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth in thought, Goofy carefully placed an O in another box. X... O... X... O... X... O...and Goofy emerged victorious. The bird pecked him angrily and ran off.

"Are we in Wonderland?" Goofy wondered aloud.

"No," Donald groaned, "worse." He continued on, passing a random tree that appeared out of the darkness.

Mickey chuckled as he noticed the oddly shaped roots. "Square roots."

Three creatures sat on an upper branch of the tree; a large, circular one, a tall, rectangular one, and a triangular one. The triangular one hopped behind the rectangular one and the circular one hopped behind the triangular one, creating the illusion of a mustachioed man's face. "Pi is equal to 3.141592653589747 etcetera, etcetera, etcetera," the face announced.

"Well, gee," Goofy muttered. "I thought pi was 3.141592653589793 etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Although, if you want to be exact, it's the ratio between the circumference of a circle and its diameter." Everyone gave him funny looks and he rubbed his head awkwardly.

"Well," the face huffed, "if you're so smart, what's the area of a circle?"

"Hmph," snorted Paine, crossing her arms. "That's an easy one. Pi r-squared."

"No, pie are round, a-hyuck!" Goofy joked.

The face just looked at them contemptuously before the creatures separated and disappeared into the darkness.

Paine watched the creatures go with raised eyebrows. "Where are we?" she blurted.

_Mathemagic Land_, a mysterious, disembodied voice answered matter-of-factly.

"Doncha mean mathematics?" Goofy ventured.

_No, Goofy_, the voice replied. _Mathemagic Land is a land of great adventure, where you can journey through the wonderland of mathematics. I'm the true spirit of adventure and I'm here to guide you._

The darkness around them lifted, revealing the strangest jungle any of them had ever seen. It was filled with more of the trees with square roots and other trees that grew in shapes like numbers. A river ran through it, thick with driftdigits. Even the stones were shaped in perfect geometrical figures.

"Golly, Mr. Spirit, I sure would love to go on a little adventure with you," Mickey began, frowning slightly, "but I just don't think we have the time to learn anything about mathematics."

_You find mathematics in the darndest places, you know._

"Yeah, well, we're not going to find it where we're going," Donald spat irritably.

_Donald_, the voice chided. _You've let your mind get messy again._

"So what if I have?" he challenged back.

_Remember what_ _I told you last time? The key to opening the doors of the future is..._

"...mathematics," he grumbled. "Hmph, we don't need mathematics anymore. We have a better key."

_No Keyblade is capable of opening these doors, Donald._

"Is that true, yer Majesty?" Goofy asked, a troubled look on his face.

"Sure is," Mickey chuckled in amusement. "The doors we're talking about aren't real doors." He tapped the side of his skull with a gloved finger. "They're up here."

"Aw, phooey," quacked Donald, swatting the air with a feathered hand. "Come on, guys. We don't need mathematics to fight Astan."

_Are you sure about that Donald?_

"Positive," he nodded, folding his arms, then cried in alarm as their surroundings changed. They were in a room that seemed to be made of rainbow light, almost like a replica of the space inside of Radiant Garden's Keyhole. The comparison was made more complete when a Behemoth materialized in front of them.

_Would you rather fight one Behemoth..._

The Behemoth disappeared and was replaced by a twitching Shadow.

_...or one Shadow?_

"Is this a joke?" Paine scoffed, shouldering a large blade...large compared to her, that is.

_Not at all. You only have to fight one Heartless in both cases. What's the difference?_

"What do you mean, 'What's the difference?'" Donald squawked, balling his fists and stomping around. "A Behemoth is a lot stronger than a Shadow."

_Ah, but how much is a lot? Strength can be described quantitatively._

"Kwon-ti-tay-tiv-lee?" Goofy slowly repeated.

_Yes, quantitatively. In other words, it can be described with numbers and measurements. And where there are numbers..._

"...there's mathematics," Mickey finished, nodding slowly. "Huh, maybe we should go on this adventure." He looked to his companions for their opinions. Donald waved his arms wildly, indicating he didn't agree. Paine and Goofy, though, seemed intrigued. "Okay, that settles it. Lead on, Mr. Spirit." Donald froze midsquawk in disbelief.

_There are five basic qualities that contribute to your ability to fight: health, mana, strength, magic, and defense._

"How much damage you can take, how much magic you can cast, how powerful your physical attacks are, how powerful your magical attacks are, and how well you resist damage," Paine rattled off like a trained warrior.

_Correct._

The Behemoth materialized next to the Shadow.

_Shadows are weaker in all five aspects when compared to Behemoths and most certainly when compared to you._

The Heartless vanished in puffs of smoke.

_Take Donald, for example._

Instantly, words and numbers appeared over Donald's head, causing him to quack in alarm:

HP: 90  
MP: 130  
Str: 49  
Mag: 75  
Def: 60

Some also appeared above his wand, Save the Queen:

Str: 5  
Mag: 6

_Donald relies heavily on spell casting, so he has more mana and high magic, while the other three qualities are weaker. Weapons can also enhance these qualities, as can be seen with Donald's Save the Queen. That, combined with Donald's own statistics, comes out to a total strength of 54 and a total magic of 81._

"How about me, Mr. Spirit fella?" Goofy asked eagerly. Numbers also materialized above him.

HP: 110  
MP: 100  
Str: 56  
Mag: 0  
Def: 79

Save the King:  
Str: 9  
Mag: 0

_A high defense, but no magic. Fitting for someone who wields a shield._

Mickey:  
HP: 110  
MP: 110  
Str: 58  
Mag: 64  
Def: 55

Dark Realm's Keyblade:  
Str: 3  
Mag: 1

"Gee, yer Majesty," Goofy said, scratching his chin, "those numbers aren't very big."

Mickey smiled at him knowingly. "Strength isn't everything."

_Indeed. Mickey may not be the strongest of warriors, but he is incredibly acrobatic. His jumping prowess is matched by none and his fast movements are enough to make even the toughest of opponents dizzy._

"Hey, what about Paine?" Donald grumbled. A transparent figure materialized next to him and swung a blade at Donald, who jumped away in alarm even though the blade just passed right through him. On closer inspection, the figure turned out to be Paine, only human-sized.

HP: 120  
MP: 90  
Str: 72  
Mag: 45  
Def: 66

"Those were the days," Paine sighed dismally. "I can barely scratch a Shadow now."

_That is because your size decreased by a factor of ten..._

The Paine figure began growing smaller until it was the size of sprite-sized Paine.

_...which also decreased all of your stats by a factor of ten._

HP: 12.0  
MP: 9.0  
Str: 7.2  
Mag: 4.5  
Def: 6.6

"Wonderful," she huffed, rolling her eyes. "I'll be sure to let Yuna and Rikku know."

The figure of Paine dissolved into many fragments of light, then separated into two and reformed as Sora and Kairi, crouching in battle stances.

Sora:  
HP: 120  
MP: 140  
Str: 70  
Mag: 66  
Def: 75

_Ultima Weapon_:  
Str: 6  
Mag: 4

_The young Master of Light is quite a strong individual, and well-rounded even. His strength is slightly larger than his magic, though, giving him an edge in melee fighting._

Kairi:  
HP: 90  
MP: 150  
Str: 57  
Mag: 70  
Def: 65

Radiating Garden:  
Str: 3  
Mag: 6

_The princess favors magic, as well, though all of her stats are growing rapidly. However, she also has one additional statistic that only the Princesses of Heart possess._

Bright, bold words formed right over Kairi's heart:

Light Strength: 40

_Princesses of Heart can use the light in their hearts itself as a powerful weapon._

"It sure is!" Mickey goggled. "She defeated all those Heartless with one attack!"

_Her light strength is growing rapidly, too. If you plot her light strength as a function of time and find the regression curve you get an exponential regression equation of a large order of magnitude which then leads to many orders of derivative the regression equation can also be integrated with respect to time from a time '0' to a time 't' to predict her light strength at time 't' –_

"Hey, hey. Hey! HEY!" Donald screamed, clutching his pounding brain. "What's the big idea?"

_...My apologies. I...don't know what came over me._

"Gee, are you feelin' alright?" Goofy asked in concern. "It sounds almost like you had a disfunction."

"Malfunction," everyone immediately corrected him.

"Right, malfunction, a-hyuck," laughed Goofy.

_Anyway, where was I?_

"The Princesses" Mickey offered.

_Ah, yes. Well, the true power of the Princesses of Heart can only be seen when they come together and join forces._

The transparent figure of Sora dissolved and reformed as Belle.

Light Strength: 58

_When the Princesses combine their powers, the result is greater than merely adding their light strengths, resulting from a complicated equation._

Belle's and Kairi's numbers flew to a point between the transparent girls and combined into a new number: 102

_And when all seven are together..._

The remaining five princesses materialized, along with their respective light strengths. These numbers then flew to the large number and combined for a grand total of 576.

"...they can hold back the darkness itself," Mickey finished grimly, though he fidgeted a bit in excitement.

"I would hate to do anything to tick them off," Paine deadpanned.

_The power of their light can't hurt you, nor any other being that has chosen good._

The figures of the princesses dissolved and the flecks of light swirled together, forming four more figures; Riku, Roxas, Naminé, and the new girl, Yukari.

Riku:  
HP: 100  
MP: 100  
Str: 67  
Mag: 62  
Def: 69

Way to the Dawn:  
Str: 3  
Mag: 0

Roxas:  
HP: 90  
MP: 100  
Str: 64  
Mag: 60  
Def: 61

Oblivion:  
Str: 6  
Mag: 2

Oathkeeper:  
Str: 3  
Mag: 3

_Two more well-rounded warriors, though Roxas is weaker in the supportive stats. He relies more on agility and evasion to survive a fight and lands many smaller blows that add up in the end._

"Gawrsh, that's nothing like how Sora fights," Goofy pointed out.

Donald chuckled mischievously, "Yeah, he just runs in head first and expects us to keep him out of trouble."

"And it works," Paine supplied. "Why shouldn't he, then?"

Naminé:  
HP: 90  
MP: 150  
Str: 14  
Mag: 75  
Def: 60

_Another magic user, though she could do some damage in a fist fight, perhaps._

Mickey paused thoughtfully. "I can't picture Naminé using her fists," he said in amusement. "Now, if she had a pencil, that's a whole different story."

"What about that there light strength?" Goofy wondered. "Doesn't Naminé get one of those, too?"

_No. Even as a Nobody, Naminé was not a Princess._

Curiously examining the Yukari figure, Paine muttered, "What about her?" Yukari's stats immediately materialized.

HP: 50  
MP: 70  
Str: 25  
Mag: 31  
Def: 34

"She's not very strong at all," Donald noticed. The specter of Yukari glared at him and sniffed in disdain.

"Things work differently for her," Paine mused, now studying the transparent Onsaken, "because of her weapon."

_Quite right. Her mana is used to sustain vibrations, and the amplitude of the vibrations, which correlates to the intensity, is determined by her magic. The strength statistic corresponds to the impulse that her weapon produces when physically struck against something._

"Impulse?" they all repeated in confusion.

_The change in momentum produced when a force is applied for a length of time._

Donald scratched his head. "Gee, this stuff is pretty complicated."

_It's just basic physics._

"Oh," he huffed, then frowned. "Hey, wait a minute. Are you teasing me?"

The spirit laughed. _Physics is a hard subject, even for those who have been taught it. This is one reason Yukari's statistics are misleading. She understands physics well enough to maximize her weapon's capabilities, as well as her own, to make up for the fact that she has not been trained in any art of fighting._

The landscape around them faded until it resembled the darkness that they had been walking through. A white string that starkly contrasted with the blackness materialized, standing up on its own, perfectly taut.

_Do you remember this, Donald?_

"Sure do!" Donald replied excitedly. He scrambled over to the string and began plucking it with one hand, sliding the other up and down the length of the string to change the pitch. Soon, Donald had a nice, walking bass line going.

"Say, that's catchy," Mickey remarked, his foot tapping almost against his will. Goofy was already dancing his heart out, wiggling his behind and wagging his fingers in the air.

_Woah, there. Slow down._

The string seemed to come to life and whipped Donald with one of its ends. The end then shook itself at him almost scoldingly. Donald rubbed the offended area, grumbling the whole time and eyeing the string nastily. Instead, Goofy meandered up to the string and gave it a hardy pluck.

_Now divide it in half._

Goofy pinched the string in half and plucked it again.

_It's the same tone, one octave higher._

"Well, I'll be!" Goofy exclaimed.

"The octave has a ratio of two to one, blah, blah, blah," Donald drawled.

_Precisely. The lower tone has a length that is twice the length of the higher tone._

"What about the frequency?" Paine asked.

_Now you're getting it. The lower tone is middle C and its frequency is 262 Hertz. The higher tone is the C above it and its frequency is 524 Hertz._

"That's the opposite of the length," Mickey pointed out.

_Yes. When the length goes up, the frequency goes down, and vice versa._

"So, the length of the vibrating part of the string is its wavelength," Paine concluded.

_Not quite. It is only half of the wavelength. Pluck the string again, please, Goofy. This time, pay attention to what the string looks like when it's vibrating._

He did so and they watched the string bow out on either side, going so fast that the string just looked like a solid blur.

_Now imagine the movement of just one point on the string. If you graph that over time..._

Two lines materialized and made a cross.

_...it will look like this._

Goofy plucked the string once more and this time a bright path formed on the grid that the crossed lines made. It was a neat squiggle that curved over and under the horizontal line.

_This is a sine curve. Anything that has periodic motion, that is, repeats the same motion over and over again, will make a sine curve if you graph the position over time. The wavelength is the length of a period and a period is two whole lobes of the curve._

A spark started at the beginning of one lobe, arched up through what looked like the top half of a circle, then swooped down the curve into a bottom lobe and ended back at the top. The section was then highlighted for their benefit.

_There are many more things that produce motion like this. A pendulum or a spring are two fine examples. The graph of the first derivative of a sine curve is a cosine curve which is a velocity-time graph and the graph of the second derivative is a negative sine curve which is an acceleration-time graph multiplying the acceleration-time graph by the mass will give a force-time graph which is also described by Hooke's Law which states that the force of a spring is equal to the spring constant multiplied by the distance from the equilibrium position and if you integrate Hooke's law with respect to the distance you get the formula for the potential energy of a spring –_

"Mr. Spirit," Mickey tried, but the spirit kept plowing through his lesson on calculus and physics. "Mr. Spirit!"

_...Oh dear. I believe it's getting worse._

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Goofy asked out of concern.

_I'm not sure._

"Whelp, it looks like we'll just have to figure it out," Mickey pronounced with a curt nod. "I bet...no, I _know_ this is why we're here."

"Well, what do we do, yer Majesty?" Goofy asked.

Mickey folded his arms in thought. "I guess we just keep going. What's next, Mr. Spirit?"

_Very well. Let's move on, then, to a very important number, the number _e.

"'e' is a letter," Donald scoffed, twirling his finger in a circle by his temple to indicate what he thought of the spirit's mental state.

e _is a letter that represents a number, like pi represents 3.14, etcetera. One of the definitions of _e_ is the limit as _n_ approaches infinity of the quantity one plus one over n to the nth power. That is, when _n_ grows infinitely large, the equation (1+1/n) to the nth power gets closer and closer to the number _e.

"Oh!" Goofy cried in comprehension. "You mean 2.71828182845904523536, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera."

_That's the one. This is a very special number. It can be used to find how much munny you have in the bank if the interest is compounded continuously. Populations also grow according to _e_, called exponential growth. But it is most useful in calculus because the derivative of _e _to the _x_ is _e _to the _x _this means that the integral of _e _to the _x _is also _e _to the _x –

"You're doing it again," Paine groaned, putting a hand over her face and shaking her head.

– _the logarithm of base _e_ is also a very important function and is usually called the natural logarithm abbreviated _ln_ this also has useful functions in calculus because the derivative of the natural logarithm of _x_ is merely one over _x_ and the integral of the natural logarithm of _x_ is _x _times the natural logarithm of _x_ minus _x _plus an arbitrary constant –_

"Hey, snap out of it!" Donald squawked, raising his wand and firing off a Thundaga at random.

– e_ is also the sum of the sequence also called a series from _n_ equals 0 to _n _equals infinity of one over _n_-factorial which is useful in calculus to rewrite a series as a function of _x –

"This isn't good," Mickey muttered as the spirit continued on, showing absolutely no sign of stopping this time. "What could be causing this?"

"The Heartless?" Goofy suggested, bringing out his shield.

"Wait," gasped Paine. "Do you remember what he said about _e_? Populations grow exponentially."

"But there aren't any cities around here," Donald pointed out.

"A population doesn't have to be people," she explained. "It can be pretty much anything that's alive."

"Oh, no!" Mickey yelled in dismay as the facts clicked into place. "The Heartless are growing exponentially in Mathemagic Land!"

– _Cartesian coordinates are usually used to graph functions using the variables _x_ on the horizontal axis_ _and _y _on the vertical axis but polar coordinates are also useful which describes the distance of a point from the origin as a function of the angle that the point makes with the origin and the horizontal axis a famous function in polar coordinates is the distance to the origin equals _e_ raised to the angle-in-radians-over-two-pi power –_

A horizontal line appeared between the group. At one end was the number '0' and at the other end, the number '1.' It split in half horizontally and both halves began rotating. One half rotated counterclockwise, growing smaller as it did so. The other rotated clockwise, growing larger.

– _this is called the logarithmic spiral –_

The two lines were indeed tracing out a spiral that was growing outward and inward at the same time. After the lines finished tracing out a full rotation each, they vanished with a bright flash, leaving the spiral behind. They watched as something slowly began to materialize in the spiral. It grew larger and larger, forming something that looked like an ivory, spiral shell, until it filled the graph completely.

"What is it?" Donald quailed, drawing his wand out.

Darkness began emanating from the opening. A Heartless Emblem burned itself onto the front of the shell and a massive, many-tentacled beast emerged from the opening with a mighty roar. It barreled at them, intending to ram them with its shell, and they scattered.

"It's the Naughtilus!" Mickey cried. The Naughtilus turned towards Mickey and made another rush at him. Mickey jumped clear over the Heartless, which was easily ten feet tall, and gave it a hearty whack on his way past. It didn't even dent the hard surface. "Nuts."

Spinning on a dime, the Naughtilus kept rushing them. Every time they jumped away, it just came right back at them with a speed that didn't seem possible from such a huge monster. They didn't have any chance to get an attack in.

"Enough of this," Mickey panted after a particularly close miss. He fired one of his magic pearls as the Naughtilus began another lunge, tripping it up. The huge beast skittered to a halt, teetered, and tipped over...right on Donald and Goofy!

"Donald! Goofy!" Mickey shouted, dismayed at this turn of events. He rushed past the wriggling tentacles that were trying to right the bulky shell. Goofy crawled out from under the Naughtilus, his shield held up to protect his head. Donald followed shortly after, a Reflega spell sparkling around him. "I'm so sorry, fellas," Mickey apologized, breathing a sigh of relief that they weren't hurt.

They had to scatter yet again as the Naughtilus swung upright. This time, though, it just lifted itself up and slammed into the ground, creating a massive shockwave that blasted them back.

"Sure packs a wallop," Goofy remarked, his eyes spinning.

"I'll give him a wallop," Donald snarled, pushing up his sleeves and waving his wand threateningly. "THUNDAGA!" The bolts splashed harmlessly against the shell, but the few bolts that managed to strike the fleshy body caused the Heartless to spasm in pain.

"Its body is vulnerable," Paine hurriedly relayed to them, fluttering agitatedly, her hands wringing the hilt of her sword.

Roaring angrily, the Naughtilus rose for another shockwave. This time, Mickey jumped high above the wave while Donald and Goofy shielded themselves. Keyblade flashing in his hand, Mickey aimed the path of his jump near the exposed body. At the same time, Goofy loosed his shield at it. It collided with Mickey and both were thrown off course.

"Sorry, yer Majesty," Goofy called, wincing. "I guess I've been fightin' with Sora for so long I'm not used to fightin' with anybody else."

"_What the hell do you think you're doing?_" Paine screamed at them. All three of them winced horribly when they heard the cuss word and Paine palmed her forehead. "Get it together. If you guys don't, we're doomed."

"She's right," Mickey said groggily as he got up and not a moment too soon. The Naughtilus rose up for yet another shockwave. They avoided it as before, but as Mickey was flipping high above the battle, Goofy got an idea.

"Catch, yer Majesty," he hollered, tossing his shield. Mickey caught it at the height of his jump and aimed it at the Naughtilus, planning to slam the shield against it. As a finishing touch, Donald conjured a Firaga spell around the shield, effectively turning Mickey into a blazing comet. He crashed into it with a mighty explosion and the Naughtilus bellowed in pain. A large crack had formed in its shell.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," whooped Paine.

Completely enraged, the Naughtilus switched back to charging at them.

"Not this again," Donald groaned, losing a few feathers as he ducked out of the way.

The Heartless flipped around and aimed straight at Goofy. "Oh no you don't," Goofy said, raising his shield and bracing himself.

"Goofy!" Mickey cried. Donald hastily cast Reflega as Goofy took the charge head on. The collision was concussive enough to shake Goofy's very bones, but he gritted his teeth and planted his feet. Amazingly, Goofy was actually holding the Naughtilus back.

"Attack, now!" Paine ordered. "Goofy can't hold it much longer."

Mickey unleashed a combo on the vulnerable body, peppered with Thundaga spells from Donald. When Goofy's strength finally gave out, he stepped aside and the Naughtilus shot past him. It spun and barreled towards them again, though it wasn't quite as fast as before.

"I think it's weakening," Paine said excitedly.

They repeated this process several times, slowly but surely weakening the Naughtilus. The crack grew bigger and bigger with each hit. Finally, with a tired howl, it rose for a last shockwave. Again, they turned Mickey into a comet. He streaked down in a blaze of glory, leaving a bright trail in his wake. The shield struck right on the weakest part of the shell, shattering it. Without the massive, protective shell, the Naughtilus was practically helpless. Flying up to it, Paine shoved her sword right through its brain and it dissipated, releasing the heart.

All of them plopped onto their behinds in relief, panting heavily. A bright Keyhole appeared in the darkness and Mickey locked it with a resounding click.

The spirit, who had been rambling throughout the entire fight, stopped talking abruptly and made a noise that sounded like he was trying to clear his head.

_That was unpleasant._

"That's the Heartless for you," Donald sighed.

_And thanks to you, they will never invade Mathemagic Land again._

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered embarrassedly. "It was nothing." A bright light flashed in Goofy's pocket and he reached in it for the Commsphere.

_I've uploaded all the information I gave you into your Commsphere, even the unintentional information. Do with it what you will._

"Thank you," Mickey said cheerfully. "That sure was some adventure, but we have to get goin' now."

_Of course._

A path appeared ahead of them.

_This path will take you where you need to go. So long and good luck._

They said their farewells and set off along the path that the spirit had provided for them, heading once again for the endless darkness.

* * *

**A/N:** You know what? I've been thinking. I like stories that have author's notes after the chapters. It just adds a bit more. So, for your benefit, I thought I could overcome my dislike of author's notes and start putting them in. Doesn't that make you feel special? lol

Whatayaknow! I managed to get in more steam of consciousness. Kudos to anyone who can understand it. It's all accurate as far as I know, too. (Okay, so the light strength function was a bit of BS, but there is a function that will fit the numbers. That's called a fudge factor people. Science is full of them, HA!) If you have any questions, feel free to ask them.

So, I used to watch this VHS all the time when I was little, but I couldn't find it anywhere to do this chapter. TT There are two parts of it on You Tube, so I settled for that. Just so you know, this was originally just a crack filler chapter. Imagine my surprise when it actually turned out to be a good way to tie up a few loose ends in there.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Flames? If it's the last one, bring it on! I'm a freaking chemist. Can't no one make bigger and better flames than me. I know how to make fire with water, MUAHAHAHAAAAAA!

**New Characters:**

The true spirit of adventure: Donald in Mathemagic Land (1959)


	19. Messing With Time

Chapter 19: Messing With Time

Yuna reclined comfortably on one of Sora's spikes of hair, reviewing the new entries in the Commsphere and relaying anything of interest to Sora, Kairi, and Jiminy. In other words, Kairi and Yuna were gossiping about Yukari.

"Did you see the death glare she gave Sora when he called her Riku's girlfriend?" Kairi squealed excitedly.

"Oh, I know!" Yuna chirped back. "She totally likes him."

"They'd make such a cute couple!" Kairi gushed happily, turning to Sora. "Don't you think so, Sora?"

"Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure." They'd come to a fork in the forest path they were traveling. A small wooden post bore many faded directional signs. After a feeble attempt at reading them, Sora shrugged and headed down the path to the right.

"She's not that bad looking, either," Kairi supplied.

"You think so?" Yuna said evasively. "I think he could do better."

Kairi pouted, "Well, he could do worse, too."

Sora rolled his eyes. Like Riku would really care about looks. That's if he even liked this Yukari girl, which he didn't. It was obvious that their personalities just went well together. But, of course, girls have to work even the slightest details to death.

"And anyway, looks don't matter that much," Kairi continued. "Isn't that right, Sora?"

"Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure." The path opened onto a cliff, giving them a breathtaking view of the sprawling valley nestled among majestic mountain peaks. At its center stood a gleaming, white castle. Sora continued down the path, now spiraling down the cliff face.

"She has the most gorgeous eyes, though," Kairi sighed, clasping her hands together.

Yuna nodded emphatically. "I've never seen such pretty green eyes."

"I thought they looked more blue, actually," Kairi frowned.

"No, no, no," Yuna said, shaking her head. "They were definitely green."

"What do you think, Sora?"

"Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure."

She scowled at him. "Are you listening?"

"Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure." She slapped him upside the head. "Ow!"

"Serves you right," she huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"Aw, come on! Give me a break, Kairi," Sora pleaded. "I'm a guy. Guys don't gossip. Besides..." He jerked a thumb up towards his noggin. "...you're supposed to be reading the Commsphere to us since we didn't have time to do it in Monstropolis."

"I am," Yuna whined. "See? Look." She obviously forgot that Sora couldn't see her. "Yukari's eyes change color from green to blue and back."

"Jiminyyyyy," Sora groaned.

"I'm on it," the cricket chirped, hopping up to Sora's shoulder and clambering up his hair spikes. He grappled with Yuna for a few moments and managed to wrestle the Commsphere from her. Crossing her arms and pouting, Yuna retreated to Kairi's hip pouch.

"Let's see here," Jiminy muttered. "They found Yukari in Traverse Town."

"Makes sense," Sora mused, stroking his chin. "People come and go there all the time. What was she doing there?"

"Hm..." Jiminy peered at the screen closely. "Doesn't say. All it has is a picture of her and a description of her weapon, Onsaken."

Sora mulled that one over a bit. "What kind of weapon is a tuning fork blade?"

"Asks the man who wields a giant key," Kairi snorted.

"Hey!" Sora complained. "I'm genuinely curious."

She grinned at him playfully. "More like you want to keep your eardrums intact." Sora rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Sorry, but I can't make heads or tails of this," Jiminy admitted. "Something about wavelengths and electric magnet spectrums."

"Let me see," Sora said, reaching up to take the Commsphere from Jiminy. He took one glance, scratched his head, and handed it to Kairi. Sighing at him, Kairi attempted to read the article.

"Well, no wonder," she giggled, "this is all the stuff you missed in science class last year."

"Great," huffed Sora. "So, out of all the humans, I'm going to be the only one in the dark."

"No," Kairi said, shaking her head. "Roxas will be with you," she smirked cheekily. Sora just groaned helplessly. "Here, I'll explain it to you," she sighed sympathetically, beginning to skim the article. "Her weapon can make light, sound, or darkness depending on how long it is. All she has to do is make it vibrate. Looks like she uses magic to do that. But, the longer her weapon is, the more mana she uses. She can also use it to hear stuff she can't normally hear."

Pausing thoughtfully, Sora pondered, "Light and darkness, huh? Good thing she found Riku and them, then. She's got that whole twilight thing going on."

"Aw, you're taking all the fun out of it," Kairi pouted, wrinkling her nose and sticking out her tongue. She turned back to the article, read a bit more and gasped.

"What?" Sora asked quickly.

"The Keyhole was unsealed," Kairi breathed.

Sora frowned worriedly. "Traverse Town was always a bit unstable. It's just bits and pieces. The Keyhole probably got knocked loose, or something," he reasoned, albeit doubtfully. "The only problem is getting there to seal it."

"Riku sealed it already," Kairi stated.

"Oh," Sora said, blinking rapidly. "I guess we'll just keep an eye out for any Keyholes that need sealing." Kairi giggled at him. "Anything else interesting?"

Kairi paused, then started sniggering. "Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Paine got a calculus lesson. So, you and Roxas are the _only_ ones who will be in the dark, period."

"Greeeeat," Sora groaned. "You know what? I don't even want to hear it."

She giggled at him again and turned back to the article, her brow becoming more and more creased as time went on. "That's interesting," she mumbled at one point.

"What is?" Sora asked.

She glanced up at him. "I thought you didn't want to hear it," she teased.

"Now I do!" he whined, an especially pathetic look on his face. "Pleeease?" He clasped his hands in front of him.

"Sora, you're such a goof," she sniggered.

"But I'm a cute goof, right?" he queried.

"Definitely," she replied, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

He sighed happily, lost for a moment to oblivion. "So..." he began, regaining himself. "Will you tell me?"

"No."

"Aw! Come on!"

They both stopped as they reached a large iron gate. It stretched towards the sky, making them crane their necks just to get a good look at it. Two gleaming marble columns flanked it, with beautiful angels perched on top to keep watch over the gate.

"Is it just me, or does this place seem familiar?" Jiminy wondered.

"Yeah," Sora muttered. "It's like a memory that keeps slipping my mind." He shrugged it off and grinned. "Then again, I've been feeling that way a lot lately." He gently pushed the gate open.

A sparkling marble bridge stretched towards the magnificent castle Sora had seen earlier. More angels were interspersed along the way at equal intervals. There were also clear signs of heavy wind damage.

They went through the inner gate and the courtyard before stopping outside the castle doors. A chilling sense of deja vu crept up Sora's spine as he heaved the doors open. They entered a large entrance hall with two staircases leading off to the east and west. A door stood open at the top of the central stairs, beautiful ballroom music drifting out of it.

"Oh," Sora cried in revelation. "It reminds me of Beast's Castle, only more cheerful."

"You're right," Jiminy agreed.

"It looks like they're having a ball," Kairi squealed excitedly. "Let's go, Sora." She yanked his arm and began dragging him towards the ballroom. Despite wearing an inch of tread off Sora's soles, Kairi managed to get him onto the dance floor.

"Kairi," Sora moaned quietly, "everyone's staring at us."

"It's because we're not dancing," she insisted, placing his arms for him. "Now, lead."

"I don't –"

"Lead!"

Sighing, Sora began leading Kairi across the dance floor, slowly revolving in time to the music. Soon, he stopped thinking about the others in the ballroom and relaxed, enjoying the dance.

"I told you those ballroom dancing lessons would come in handy," Kairi gloated.

Sora just grinned playfully and caught Kairi off guard with a complicated turn. She responded by pivoting on his foot.

"What do we have here?" a smooth, male voice cut into their friendly squabbling. It belonged to a handsome man in a blue coat, a noble air about him. Holding himself with dignified poise, the man stared arrogantly down his nose at them. "A couple of party crashers?" he sneered.

Sora gulped. He had a feeling they'd just run into the master of this castle. "We're sorry," he stammered. "The door was open and we thought..." The man raised an eyebrow at them.

"We'll just be leaving," Kairi tittered nervously, steering Sora towards the door.

"In fact, we were never here," Sora added over his shoulder.

The man's face slowly split into a grin, as if he knew something they didn't, then he chuckled. "You don't recognize me, Sora." He placed a hand on his chest and feigned being in pain. "I'm hurt."

Now that Sora thought about it, the man did seem familiar. Sora looked past the shoulder-length red hair, studying his face. The smile, the friendly face, the warm blue eyes, they did nothing to jog Sora's memory. But the eyes held something more, the steel of determination and the strength of a wild –

"_Beast?_" Sora gasped.

"Adam," the man confirmed, nodding.

"Adam?" Sora repeated, scratching his head.

"My name."

"Oh," Sora muttered, coloring. Adam laughed and grabbed Sora in a large hug. He then turned to Kairi expectantly. "This is Kairi," Sora introduced. "You remember her, right?"

"How could I forget this lovely mademoiselle?" Adam replied, taking one of Kairi's hands and gently kissing it. Kairi giggled, blushing herself.

"Adam?" Belle's voice rang clearly over the ballroom sounds. "Adam, where are you?"

"Over here," he answered, "greeting our honored guests."

"I thought we greeted everyone on the guest list already." Belle emerged from the mass of whirling dancers, looking positively radiant in her gold dress. Her eyes landed first on Adam, then Kairi. "Kairi!"

Kairi ran forward to greet her fellow Princess of Heart. Taking each other's shoulders, they kissed each other twice on each cheek, then enveloped the other in a hug. As soon as they broke apart, Sora bowed to Belle like Adam had done for Kairi.

"Aren't you just the gentleman, young Keybearer?" a malicious voice pealed through the ballroom. All activity halted as everyone looked around for the party crasher that was not welcome.

"Mais oui!" a tall man that sounded like Lumiere cried. He pointed up towards the balcony, right at the spot where Xaldin had taunted them once upon a time. "C'est Jeanne d'Arc!"

"John Dark?" Sora asked. "Who's he?"

"Joan of Arc," Belle whispered. "_She_ is one of France's beloved heroines."

"Oui, monsieur. C'est moi," Joan of Arc sneered. She was too far away for Sora to get a good look at her, but he managed to discern a suit of armor on her, excluding a helmet. Her face was indistinguishable, but he could tell that her hair was cut short.

"No, you're not!" snarled Kairi, pointing at Joan accusingly. "You're a Restless."

"Tres bien, Princess," the Restless observed. She also noticed two Keyblades drawn against her. "Put away your weapons, peasants. I'm not here to fight." She reached into her armor and pulled out a glowing, red orb.

"That's a sphere!" Yuna yelled.

"Indeed. It contains a memory that's very important to this castle." She examined the sphere lazily for a moment. "A memory that could change this world's future if tampered with." The guests all held their breath as she scrutinized it. Suddenly, she tossed it into the air. It sailed over the heads of the frightened ball goers. "We wouldn't want that to happen now, would we?"

Joan of Arc laughed evilly as the sphere passed over Sora and Kairi, exploding into a swirling dark cloud of energy. It lowered, enveloping the two teens in its folds. The world went dark, then grew incredibly bright, causing them to cover their eyes. It cleared to reveal the ballroom, though everyone was gone and the atmosphere was gloomy again.

"What...what happened?" Kairi asked nervously, looking around the empty, depressing ballroom.

Sora shook his head. "I'm not sure," he sighed. "Something like this happened at Disney Castle once and I had to fight this massive, armored Wielder, but that was more like fighting a ghost...a very solid, very powerful ghost."

"Yuna, you're the resident sphere hunter," Jiminy inserted. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Hmmm," she hummed, pausing to think. "No idea," she finally admitted. Everyone sagged in disappointment.

Kairi gripped Sora's arm urgently. "That dark cloud came from the sphere, right? What if we're trapped in the memory inside that sphere?" she speculated.

"You know, I bet you're right," Sora agreed. "This is how the castle looked before the enchantment was lifted..."

Kairi gasped and gripped Sora's arm tighter. "Sora!" she said fearfully. "What if this is the memory of the enchantment lifting?"

Taking a firm hold of her shoulders, Sora looked Kairi in the eye. "Then we'd better not screw up," he said bravely, though his heart quaked when he remembered how close Monstropolis had been to falling into chaos.

"Alright troops, listen up!" Cogsworth's voice echoed from the entrance hall. "We have approximately 1200 hours until the last petal falls. Our mission? Make them fall in love before then, or be doomed to this miserable existence for all eternity." Sora and Kairi quietly crept into the hall and saw Cogsworth addressing the castle's servants from the grand staircase. "Operation Human Again is a go! I repeat: Operation Human Again is a go! East Team will cover the West Wing and West Team will cover the East Wing. The remaining soldiers will come with me. Ready? Break!"

All the servants scattered, leaving Cogsworth on his own. Sora and Kairi looked at each other and nodded once, agreeing that helping out wouldn't do any harm. "Hey, Cogsworth," Sora hailed the enchanted clock. "Looks like everyone deserted you."

"I don't understand it," Cogsworth muttered to himself, pacing on the steps. "I assigned half of the castle to East Team and half to West Team." Sora chuckled at Cogsworth's flawed math. Five out of four people have trouble with fractions, you know.

"This is why we don't let Cogsworth touch the treasury," Lumiere explained with a chuckle as he, Mrs. Potts, and Babette the feather duster, joined them on the stairs.

"Welcome back, Monsieur Sora."

"Sora?" Cogsworth repeated, as if waking from a trance. He glanced around, then jumped when he saw Sora. "Oh, Sora! Impeccable timing, as always."

"Don't be so hasty, Cogsworth, they just got here," Mrs. Potts scolded. She turned to the two guests and smiled. "It's good to see you, again, Sora. And who is this lovely young lady?"

"This is Kairi," Sora introduced. "Kairi, this is Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Babette."

"Sora's told me all about you, but it's wonderful to finally meet you," Kairi said, bending down to their level.

Lumiere pushed his way forward, burning Cogsworth in the process, and took Kairi's hand. "It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, mon chérie." He kissed her fingertips, causing her to giggle again.

Cogsworth cleared his throat irritatedly, eyeing Lumiere with distaste. "Yes, yes, nice to meet you. Now get to work." He tried to start shooing everyone to their tasks.

"I don't see what all zis trouble eez for," Babette pouted, her voice holding a heavy French accent.

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "It's obvious that they care about each other."

"Yes, but that's not enough," Cogsworth stressed. "He has to learn to love another _and_ earn their love in return before the last petal falls at midnight tonight. That only gives us–" He reached his hands up to feel his face. "– 11 hours, 39 minutes, and 42 seconds!"

"Relax, Cogsworth," Sora cried hurriedly before the uptight major-domo popped a vein...or a gear. "We'll help."

"That's right," Kairi added. "This place will make sparks fly when we're through with it."

"You'll all be human again by tomorrow," Sora assured them with a grin.

"Ah, human again," Lumiere sighed, grabbing Cogsworth tightly. Grumbling angrily, Cogsworth blew out Lumiere's candles, as usual.

"Human again," Mrs. Potts said wistfully.

"Yes, think what that means," Lumiere said, letting go of Cogsworth and spinning dreamily.

"_I'll be cooking again_," Lumiere sang, lighting a hand, "_be good looking again..._" He lit the other hand. "_...with a mademoiselle on each arm_." He draped an arm around Mrs. Potts and Babette.

Sora laughed in delight as the infectious mood spread to him and he couldn't help but burst into song. "_When you're human again, only human again..._" He scooped Cogsworth up and began spit-shining him. "_...poised and polished and gleaming with charm_." Cogsworth yelled in alarm and struggled out of Sora's grasp, straightening indignantly.

"_I'll be courting again,_" Lumiere continued, hopping onto Babette, "_chic and sporting again._"

"_Which should cause several husbands alarm,_" Mrs. Potts trilled mischievously.

"Ha, ha!" Lumiere chuckled rhythmically. "_I'll hop down off this shelf..._" He slid off Babette's lap-equivalent. "_...and tout de suite be myself._" He grabbed Mrs. Potts and twirled her around. "_I can't wait to be human again_."

* * *

"_When we're human again,_" chorused the enchanted items on Belle's vanity in the East Wing, "_only human again, when we're knickknacks and whatnots no more._"

Kairi chuckled as Yuna joined the various brushes and combs in a waltz. "_When you're human again,_" she sang as she dusted the table top, "_good and human again –_"

Her thought was interrupted as the Wardrobe draped herself on the vanity, the wood groaning in protest. "_Oh, chérie, won't it all be top drawer?_" warbled the Wardrobe. "_I'll wear lipstick and rouge, and I won't be so huge. Why, I'll easily fit through that door._"

She got up and moved towards the window. "_I'll exude savoir faire._" She twirled the curtains around her. "_I'll wear gowns, I'll have hair. It's my prayer to be human again._" With an almighty crash, the Wardrobe wrenched the curtains free, taking big chunks of the wall with her. Kairi shook her head, wondering how things were going for Sora in the stables.

* * *

Mrs. Potts and Cogsworth were perched on the fence, a straw hat on Cogsworth's head and a pitchfork in his hand. "_When we're human again, only human again, when the world once more starts making sense._" The pitchfork hopped away, trailing Cogsworth behind it before bucking him off. He sailed past Sora and Lumiere as they brushed Philippe, Belle's horse, and splashed into a water bucket. Jiminy was gently grooming Philippe's tender nose.

"_I'll unwind for a change,_" Cogsworth gargled.

"Really?" Sora and Lumiere asked, looking at each other skeptically. "That'd be strange." Sora reached a hand into the bucket and fished Cogsworth out.

"_Can I help it if I'm t-t-tense?_" sang Cogsworth, grabbing a towel to dry off. "_In a shack by the sea, I'll sit back, sipping tea._ _Let my early retirement commence. Far from fools made of wax..._" He threw the towel at Lumiere, who started twisting it. "_I'll get down to brass tacks, and re –_" Lumiere snapped Cogsworth with the towel. "– _LAX! When I'm human again._"

* * *

"_So sweep the dust from the floor,_" Kairi sang as she waltzed around a room in the West Wing, broom in hand. "_Let's let some light in the room_." She yanked down the tattered, moldy curtains, letting the sun stream in.

The enchanted things seemed to draw hope from the golden rays. "_I can feel, I can tell, someone might break the spell any day now_."

Sora merrily snatched up a rag and attacked the door knobs. "_Shine up the brass on the door. Alert the dust pail and broom._" Unfortunately, the dust pail and broom were a bit too eager and accidentally swept Jiminy up.

"_If it all goes as planned,_" everyone harmonized, "_our time may be at hand any day now._" Yuna tried to clear away some cobwebs, but got tangled instead. The feather dusters quickly rushed to her aid. "_Open the shutters, and let in some air._"

Mrs. Potts was in the thick of the action, instructing everyone on where to place things. "_Put these here, and put those over there_."

"_Sweep up the years of sadness and tears, and throw them away,_" the brooms' hopeful melody rang out as they sent all the dust and grime over the balcony railing, right on Cogsworth's head.

* * *

The mops twirled around the ballroom, their joyous sounds weaving together. "_We'll be human again, only human again, when the girl finally sets us all free. Cheek a-blooming again, we're assuming again, we'll resume our long lost joie de vivre._"

Sora and Kairi passed the elated 'dancers' and turned down a hall where suits of armor were busily scrubbing their helmets. "_We'll be playing again, holidaying again, and we're praying it's ASAP._" A cat-pillow streaked past them, shortly followed by a muddy dog-footstool. They headed straight for the open ballroom doors. "_We will push, we will shove. They will both fall in love, and we'll finally be human again._" The dog, yelping and barking, was chased from the ballroom by a knot of angry mops.

Sora glanced through the next door they came to and quickly jumped out of sight, dragging Kairi with him. "Shhh!" he hissed, putting his finger to his lips. They both peeked around the door, Yuna and Jiminy on their heads.

It was a magnificent library that rivaled the ballroom in size. In the center of the room, swallowed in the sheer vastness of the place, were Belle and Beast.

"Remember," Sora whispered quietly, "we can't let them know we're here. It might mess up the future." The three nodded firmly at him.

"'For never was a story of more woe,'" Belle read from the volume in front of her, "'than this of Juliet and her Romeo.'" She closed the book with a sigh, clutching it to her chest.

Beast had his head on his arms, engrossed in the tale as much as his Princess was. "I wish it weren't over already," he murmured sadly.

Belle laughed quietly, "I know how you feel." She placed the book in front of him. "Why don't you read it this time?"

His head shooting straight up, Beast eyed the book nervously. "I don't know..." he trailed off, scratching his head awkwardly.

"What's the matter? Can't you read?" Belle joked. Her face fell when she saw Beast look away shamefully. "Oh," she muttered, blushing.

"I used to be able to read...a little," he explained, "but I never practiced and–" He stopped when Belle placed a hand on his arm and smiled at him kindly.

"That's alright," she assured him. "I can teach you. Let's start at the beginning."

Still uncertain, Beast peered at the page. "Okay, 'Twoe...'"

"'Two.'"

"Two...I knew that. 'Two households...'"

Sora and Kairi smiled happily at each other. There was no reason to worry after all.

* * *

The final task was landscaping. "_They'll be dancing again,_" Sora sang, working his hoe in tempo, "_They'll be twirling again. They'll be whirling around with such ease._"

Cogsworth was in the center of the garden, directing wheelbarrow traffic. "_When we're human again, only human again, we'll go waltzing those old one, two, threes._" A speeding wheelbarrow rolled right over poor Cogsworth, leaving a tire track down his backside.

Kairi was revealing her artistic side as she helped sculpt the plants. "_They'll be floating again, they'll be gliding again, stepping, striding as fine as you please..._"

Each and every voice joined together for a final chorus, "_...like a real human does. I'll be all that I was._" Jiminy and Yuna worked together to turn a brass knob. With a rusty groan, water began gushing through the pipes. The fountains, unused for so long, once again were alive with sparkling streams of water. "_On that glorious morn, when we're finally reborn, and we're all human again!_"

The Wardrobe burst onto the balcony, belting her note in the final chord. Without a second thought, she dove off the balcony, landing a cannonball in the central fountain that left everyone soaking wet.

* * *

Sora sat with his back to the castle wall outside in the courtyard, Kairi curled up against his chest and his arms around her. As much as they'd wanted to join Belle and Beast on the dance floor, they'd agreed to let the lovebirds have time to themselves...both pairs. And what a time it was.

Their blissful solitude was broken by the sounds of hooves cantering across the cobblestones. Belle, mounted on Philippe, came tearing around the corner, startling Sora and Kairi out of their reverie.

"Please, reconsider!" Cogsworth howled. He was latched onto the end of Philippe's freshly-groomed tail as it streamed behind the powerful animal. "Don't leave us!"

Kairi, who heartily disapproved of Sora's tendency to act rashly, jumped right in the horse's path.

"Kairi!" Belle yelped in surprise, madly pulling up on the reins. Being a smart horse, Philippe had already swerved, but screeched to a halt, his shoes throwing up sparks. "What are you doing here?"

"We came here to surprise you," she replied angrily. Sora had to marvel at Kairi's quick thinking, especially so soon after not thinking. Apparently, he was the only one who had trouble with that sort of thing. Kairi planted her fists on her hips dangerously. "So you'd better have a good reason for ruining it."

"I'm sorry, but I have to go," Belle apologized quickly, looking worriedly towards the wood.

"Then I'm going with you," Kairi insisted stubbornly, removing Cogsworth and handing him to Sora before climbing up behind Belle. "No telling what monsters you'll run into."

With a flick of the reins, Belle urged Philippe into a gallop. Soon, the two Princesses had disappeared into the forest, the gates swinging shut with a hollow clang. Sora just stared after them for a few moments, trying to process what had happened, before dashing off with Cogsworth still in his grasp.

He burst through the door to Beast's chambers in the West Wing. Slowly, torturously, Beast swivelled his head towards the heaving boy. He blinked once in recognition, then resumed his mournful staring, looking longingly into the woods.

"What are you doing?" Sora exploded. "Go after her."

"I let her go," Beast whispered.

"_So?_" In his anxiety, Sora accidentally squeezed Cogsworth too tightly.

"I beg your pardon," Cogsworth cried, vainly attempting to push Sora's hands apart.

Sora glanced down in confusion, then hastily released Cogsworth. "Sorry." He addressed Beast again, "Why?"

Beast turned his anguished gaze at Sora once more, laying all his emotions bare for his young friend to see. Sora knew Beast's reply even before he said, "Because...I love her."

"Oh, Adam," Sora sighed to himself.

* * *

"Papa!" Belle called into the frosty dusk air.

"Maurice!" Kairi added to Belle's desperate crying. The details were still sketchy to Kairi, but she'd gathered that they were looking for Belle's father, Maurice.

They slowed once they reached a more traveled path. Kairi's eye was drawn to a curious rock formation. An aging man lay sprawled in the snow at its base. "There!" Kairi said, pointing.

Belle followed Kairi's finger and gasped, "Papa!"

Kairi dismounted and rushed to Maurice's side, trying to warm him with Firaga. He gave a wet cough and cracked delirious eyes at Kairi briefly. Together, she and Belle managed to drape him over the saddle and began the long walk to Belle's house.

* * *

Kairi was jolted out of her doze when Maurice, recovering in his bed, stirred under the covers. Snatching up a warm cloth, she began dabbing his forehead. "Stay still, Monsieur," she instructed. "I think you've got a touch of pneumonia, so you need to rest."

"Who are you?" Maurice mumbled weakly.

"Kairi," she replied, still dabbing with the cloth. "I'm a friend of Belle's."

"Belle?" Maurice gasped, jolting upright. "Where is she?"

"Relax, Papa," Belle's gentle voice cooed as she entered the room and sat on Maurice's bed. "I'm right here."

"Belle," choked Maurice, wrapping his arms around his daughter, "I can't believe it's you."

"I know, Papa, I know," she murmured soothingly, hugging him tightly.

"But-but, the Beast!" he stammered suddenly, pulling away. "How did you get away?"

Belle smiled fondly. "He set me free, Papa, so I could come find you."

"Really?" Maurice asked skeptically. "That horrible monster?"

"Oh, no," Belle corrected wistfully. "He's not like that, anymore. There's...something there that wasn't there before."

"Intruder!"

The three of them glanced around, searching for the mouth that went with the shout.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Admit it, you're working for Astan."

"Ow!"

Kairi sighed as she recognized Yuna's voice coming from Belle's knapsack, as well as a voice that sounded like it belonged to a small boy. Her suspicions were confirmed when it began wriggling around seemingly on its own. Shaking her head, Kairi reached for the bag and dumped its contents; an ornate mirror that looked magical, the sprite in question, and a small teacup with a chip in its rim.

"En garde, coward!" Yuna declared, pulling out two pistols, much to Kairi's astonishment. Kairi hurriedly grabbed Yuna and stuffed her in the ever-trusty hip pouch.

"Hello there, little fella," chuckled Maurice. "I can't believe you're here either."

The little cup's eyes stopped spinning as he righted himself and hopped over to Belle. "Don't you want to be friends with us anymore, Belle?"

"Of course I do, Chip," Belle frowned.

"Then why did you leave?" Chip asked. Hiding behind her hand, Kairi chuckled at the little guy's pure innocence.

Belle never got to answer; a knock on the door prevented it. Patting Chip on his head...er, rim, Belle got up and answered it. Kairi peeked over Belle's shoulder to see a creepy, old prune that sent shivers down her spine.

"Good evening, Mademoiselle," the man rumbled. "I come on behalf of those who are concerned for your father's health."

"I appreciate the concern," Belle said uncertainly, "but all he needs is some bed rest."

"You misunderstand me," he grinned diabolically, stepping aside and gesturing towards the yard. Warily, Belle stepped outside. "It is his mental health that is in question."

"My father is not insane!" cried Belle.

"Sure he is," a nasally voice wheedled through the door. "He came into the tavern the other day yelling about a beast."

"But, it's true, I tell you," Maurice shouted, throwing off his covers and rushing out the door. "There's a huge, hairy beast with razor sharp claws."

"I've heard enough," the old man pronounced. "Take him away."

Kairi ran outside to help and found Belle pleading with a man that would have been incredibly sexy had he not had a huge cleft in his chin. "Please, Gaston, you have to do something," Belle beseeched the almost-hunk.

"I can arrange for your father's freedom..." Gaston drawled, pausing nastily, "...if you marry me."

"Bastard!" Kairi screeched. She yanked Gaston off Belle, using her anger-fueled adrenaline, and slapped him. Hard.

Gaston growled at her in shock for a moment before growling, "Learn your place." He hit Kairi and sent her crashing into the door.

"Stupid chauvinistic pig," she snarled, rubbing the back of her head.

She reentered the house, looking around wildly for something, anything, that might convince the asylum director – and the large, angry mob that he brought with him – of Maurice's sanity. Her eyes landed on the magic mirror.

"The mirror can show you anything you tell it to," Chip offered, looking pleased with himself.

"Thanks, Chip," said Kairi, snatching up the mirror and heading out the door. Two musclemen were trying to drag Maurice into a cart that had 'ASYLUM for LOONS' written on its side. "Hold it, right there!" She brandished the mirror at them like a Keyblade. "Show me the Beast!"

The mirror crackled as the magic set to work. There was a flash and Beast's head suddenly filled the glass. It wasn't the most flattering – he was howling in misery, showing off all his teeth – but it got the job done.

"It's monstrous!" someone shouted fearfully.

"No!" Belle protested. "He only _looks_ like a monster." Her face softened tenderly. "He's actually very...sweet."

Gaston's nostrils flared dangerously. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have feelings for the monster."

"He's no monster, Gaston," Belle spat venomously. "You are!"

Gaston gave her a nasty look before wrenching the mirror out of her grasp. "Look at this," he commanded imperiously, waving the mirror for everyone to see. "Does this look sweet to you? Do what you want, but I won't rest until his head is my trophy. I say we kill the Beast!" His words were met with raucous cheering.

"No!" Belle and Kairi cried desperately.

Gaston smirked as he walked through the riled townspeople. His little speech had driven fear into everyone's hearts.

"We're not safe until he's dead."

"He'll come stalking us at night."

"Set to sacrifice our children to his monstrous appetite."

"He'll wreak havoc on our village if we let him wander free."

Grabbing a torch out of someone's hand, Gaston hopped on top of a crate, bellowing, "So it's time to take some action, boys. It's time to follow me!"

"Don't listen to him," Kairi pleaded to the crowd, trying to force her way to the front where Gaston stood. "He's just jealous." Reaching him, she tried her best to glower up at him threateningly. "I'm warning you!"

"Meddling girl," he hissed. Kairi's eyes narrowed dangerously. Gaston grabbed her arm in his massive hand and forced her through the open cellar door. "Don't want you interfering. Bring Belle and the old man, too," he ordered. Several townsmen eagerly obeyed, throwing Belle and Maurice on top of Kairi. Belle sprang up as quick as she could, hurling herself at the cellar doors, but they were already closed and locked.

Meanwhile, Chip watched from the doorway as the townspeople raised their torches, mounted their horses, and screwed their courage to the sticking place, counting on Gaston to lead the way. Then they were marching off, through the mist, through the wood, to Beast's castle.

Once the last person had passed him, Chip hopped over to the cellar window and peered in sadly. "Now what?" he moaned.

"That might work."

Chip turned to see the crazy fairy-lady hovering behind him. She pointed up the hill towards a crazy-looking machine with an axe on the front.

"Perfect!"

* * *

"Don't worry, you guys," Sora assured the distressed castle folk. "Kairi will get Belle back in time."

"I hope you're right," Mrs. Potts sighed, "for all our sakes."

The dog suddenly began barking loudly and trotted over to the large window.

"What is it, boy?" Lumiere voiced as everyone ran to look. "Sacre bleu! Invaders!" What looked like a group of fifty angry Frenchmen was surging across the bridge towards the castle doors. Most of them were helping to carry a massive tree trunk that was obviously a makeshift battering ram.

"What do we do?" Mrs. Potts quavered, looking to Lumiere.

"I am a lover, not a fighter," Lumiere professed, looking to Cogsworth.

"Well, we're not going down without a fight, that much is certain," Cogsworth rallied, looking to Sora. "Sora, my boy, you have the most experience with this sort of thing. I place the castle under your command." Then, Cogsworth did the one thing that drove the message home to Sora. He bowed.

Taken aback, Sora took a moment to gather himself, then saluted smartly. "I won't let you down."

"What are your orders, mon capitaine?" Lumiere asked zealously.

"Mrs. Potts, go warn Beast."

"Certainly," she replied, leaving.

"Everyone else, follow me."

Sora ran through the castle, shouting at the top of his lungs, "The castle is under attack. Everyone to the entrance hall. It there is even an ounce of humanity still in you, come fight to defend your home!" He smiled grimly once he felt the rumble of the inhabitants marching off to battle unafraid, even though the danger just increased.

"Kill the Beast!" Thud!

Dust sprinkled from the ceiling and the doors buckled inward as the attackers began battering it.

"Hold the door!" Sora screamed, even as he locked it.

"Kill the Beast!" Thud!

Everyone piled against the frame, desperate to keep the encroachers out.

"Kill the Beast!" Thud! "Kill the Beast!" Thud!

"It's no use," Lumiere sighed. "We need to think of something else."

Sora grunted as his shoulder got smashed by a particularly heavy blow. "Any suggestions?"

"Wait," gasped Lumiere. "I have an idea!"

* * *

"This is terrible," Belle wailed, pacing around the cellar which doubled as Maurice's workshop. "That horrible, bloodthirsty beast is going to kill him and there's nothing we can do about it."

"Now, I wouldn't say that," Kairi grinned. Belle looked at her in confusion, then amazement as Kairi summoned Radiating Garden. "I can't let Sora and Riku have _all_ the fun."

Chortling as Belle shook her head, Kairi tapped the door, which opened with a click and...a whistle? She cracked the door and caught a brief glimpse of a metal contraption screaming towards them before she knocked Belle and Maurice away from the door. A second later, it crashed into the cellar, taking the door with it.

"Woohoo!" Yuna whooped. "That was a better ride than a chocobo!"

"You gotta try this!" chirped Chip.

"Kill the Beast!" Thud!

Sora idly browsed his many keychains, trying to find the right one for this job, as the castle folk took their places.

"Kill the Beast!" Thud!

A black and white one caught his eye. Of course. _Monochrome_.

"Kill the Beast!" Thud!

He clipped on the keychain just as everyone finished moving. With a wave of the whimsical weapon, the lock opened.

"Kill the Beast!" Thuwhap!

The door burst inward and the mob goers cautiously peered into the room. None of them noticed Sora standing at the bottom of the stairs. A fat, short one reached for a candelabra sitting on a side table. Little did he know that it was actually Lumiere.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Sora said loudly. Instantly, an assortment of stereotypical mob weapons was pointed at him. "You are trespassing on private property. Leave now or you will be forcibly removed from the premises."

A burly man who was clearly the leader stepped forward. "You and what army?" he taunted.

Sora just offered up his trademark grin. "Now!"

All manner of enchanted things flew from the many bookshelves, pelting the unsuspecting townspeople as the first wave. Then everyone else joined the fray, including Sora. A coat rack began boxing a man while a mop was mopping the smirk off another man's face. Two dressers sandwiched a man's head between their drawers.

_Monochrome_, instilled with the strange magic of Timeless River, unleashed its mischief on the dissolving mob. Sora tripped a man with it as he ran over a rug. The rug took the opportunity to slurp the fallen man into a trunk, which licked its 'lips' right before Sora locked the man in. Another had a large metal pot cover his head and Sora gave it a hearty whack, producing a wonderful gonging sound that burst the man's eardrums. Take that, Yukari.

Sora wandered over towards the wall, grinning mischievously when he spotted a rope secured there. Following its path up to the ceiling, he saw that it was attached to a large, heavy, iron chandelier. Without a second though, he cut it. The chandelier crashed down on the invaders, missing any of the castle's valiant defenders.

Beer flasks launched tomatoes at the townsmen. Mrs. Potts and her children drenched them in scalding tea. Even the Wardrobe got into the fray, trapping men in her drawers and releasing them only after cross-dressing them in her gaudiest outfits.

Across the hall, Sora saw the fat guy advancing on Lumiere with a torch. The heat was melting Lumiere's wax. Soon there would be nothing left. With a battle cry, Sora charged to his aid. He needn't have, though.

"Vive la révolution!" Cogsworth screamed from the top of the banister. He had a ridiculously large hat on with a ridiculously large feather in it. He also had a pair of scissors. These he held out in front of him like a bayonet as he slid down the railing. The tip met the large buttocks of the fat guy, who ran away whimpering. Lumiere showed his gratitude by kissing Cogsworth on each cheek.

Now Babette was in trouble. A hulking moron had her upside down and was plucking her feathers out. Growling fiercely, Sora rushed to help. No one would do that to a woman on his watch and get away with it. However, he was beaten to the punch, yet again.

"No!" Lumiere snarled, cutting Sora off. "He is mine!"

The chivalrous candelabra positioned himself under the stooge's massive rear and blew on his equivalent of a thumb. Flames spurted from Lumiere's head, turning said rear into a well-done rump roast. The sap shot straight into the air, leaving Lumiere to catch Babette heroically.

The dog galumphed past them, a shoe in his mouth, heading for the kitchen. A knot of angry mob members soon followed. Light flared underneath the kitchen doors, accompanied by devilish laughter. Sora joined in the laughter as the men high-tailed it all the way off of the castle grounds, taking the rest of the sorry slobs with them. Loud whooping met their retreat.

"Huzzah!" Sora yelled, pumping his fist in the air. Everyone froze in the act of cheering to stare at him and he blushed awkwardly. "What? I always wanted to say that."

The enchanted people just shrugged and answered, "Huzzah!"

It was only after his tenth slap on the back that Sora realized something important...deathly important. That burly leader hadn't left with his troops. "Adam," Sora breathed, bolting towards the West Wing, switching back to _Ultima Weapon_.

He arrived just in time to see the man aiming a bow and arrow through the door to Beast's room. "No!" Sora cried, tackling the man as he released the string. The arrow embedded itself near Beast's shoulder blade and he roared in pain.

"Nobody messes with Gaston," the man, apparently named Gaston, growled. The one time there were no Nobodies around... He brought his fist into Sora's stomach, crumpling him, before tackling Beast through the window onto the balcony. Winded, Sora struggled to his feet and staggered over.

"How pathetic," Gaston spat, kicking Beast over the balcony railing and jumping after him.

"No!" Sora yelled, rushing to the railing. Beast had slid down the roof onto the top of a buttress, but Gaston was stalking towards him. "Adam! Come on, you've got to fight back!" Surprise registered on Beast's face, but he made no move to defend himself. The will to fight was gone.

Sora started to climb over the railing, intending to help, but was tackled in the other direction by someone clad in armor. His shoulders slammed painfully onto the shingles and he began sliding down the roof. Spotting another buttress, he quickly got his feet under him and sprang towards it.

Armored feet crashed down behind him and Sora spun. Joan of Arc! She was standing where the edge of the buttress met the roof, blocking Sora's way back to the balcony. He fired a Firaga at her, but she only laughed.

"God's grace has granted me immunity to fire," she declared. Crossing herself, she folded her arms and began to pray. "Notre Père qui est aux cieux! Que votre nom soit sanctifié. Que votre règne arrive. Que votre volonté soit fait sur la terre comme au ciel."

Light began gathering around her.

"Donnez-nous aujourd'hui notre pain du chaque jour et pardonnez-nous nos offenses comme nous pardonnons à ceux qui nous ont offensés."

The light now formed a soft aura around the Restless. Sora didn't wait to see what would happen when she finished. He charged. His Keyblade slammed into the aura as if it were a shield and was blasted backwards.

"Et ne nous laissez pas succomber à la tentation, mais délivrez-nous du mal. Car à Vous est le règne, et la puissance, et la gloire à jamais!" Her voice had risen with each syllable until she was shouting. Her eyes snapped open and she thrust a hand forward. "AMEN!" A great burst of holy energy issued from her hand, striking Sora and blasting him off the roof. He only just managed to grab onto the edge of the buttress and frantically hung on with both hands.

Joan's metal boots clunked towards him. Sora looked down at the fall he was about to experience, then up into Joan's face as she peered down at him. "May Astan's will be done," she pronounced, smashing his left hand with her foot and pushing it away.

Sora pivoted dangerously, now only holding on with his right hand. He caught a glimpse of Gaston and Beast on the other buttress, a similar story playing out. He summoned his Keyblade in his left hand and took a swipe at Joan, but she parried it easily with her own Keyblade. It was no use. He just wasn't as good with his left hand. Joan ground her toes into his fingers, destroying his grip slowly but surely.

Two voices suddenly carried over the howling wind. "Sora!" "Beast!"

Kairi!

Philippe cantered up with Kairi and Belle on his back. They watched with horror at the events unfolding. Was this the end for the men they loved? Of course not!

With a mighty roar, Beast got up and finally fought back. Grinning happily, Sora stared defiantly at Joan. He may not have been good with his left hand, but he'd just remembered who was.

A sphere of light burst from Sora as he went into Westley Form. _The Princess Blade_ formed in his hand and he knocked Joan back with it before artfully flipping back onto the buttress. He looked down at his clothes, which had turned completely black. He even noticed that he was wearing a mask. It was terribly comfortable. Perhaps everybody would wear them in the near future.

He twirled _The Princess Blade_ from his left hand to his right and hunkered into a fighting stance. Joan of Arc did the same, pointing a simple, silver Keyblade at him. A cross was attached at the end to complete the signature Keyblade look.

"Begin!"

They dueled a mighty duel that ranged all over the castle. They fought over buttresses, under buttresses, through buttresses. They danced up the roof slopes, down the roof slopes, side-to-side across the roof slopes. They even clashed blades atop steep spires, Westley's superior knowledge of swordplay and strategically oriented mind guiding Sora's every move.

Eventually, they found themselves back on the buttress where the duel had started, only this time, Sora was nearest the castle. Joan lunged, but Sora easily parried it and began spinning his Keyblade in dizzying circles. Her Keyblade went slack in her hand as Sora's – or rather, Westley's – antics distracted her. Disarming her, he took her Keyblade, _Clé de Dieux_, and knocked her backward towards the edge.

"Give it back," Joan panted, meaning her Keyblade.

Sora stared at her in confusion. "If you want it that badly, just summon it back."

"Do not mock me!" she screamed in rage, lunging at him. He raised the Keyblades to block. She rebounded off them, losing her balance and teetering on the edge. Sora threw _Clé de Dieux_ at her with enough force to send her plunging out of sight into the ravine below the castle. He sighed, reverting to his normal clothes. This wasn't over yet.

"Sora!"

Kairi was on the West Wing balcony, leaning over the railing towards him. Smiling tiredly, he began climbing, noticing with relief that Beast was doing the same.

Lightning flashed, illuminating the entire area, including Gaston and, more importantly, the hunting knife in his hand. Sora gazed on in mind-numbing horror as the blade was plunged into Beast's side. Beast roared in pain and spasmed, sending Gaston the same way as Joan of Arc.

As Belle pulled Beast onto the balcony, Kairi helped Sora get over the railing. Sora's legs were too weak to support him and he fell to his knees. Cogsworth, Lumiere, and Mrs. Potts rushed in to help, but stopped when they saw that nothing could be done. Beast, their fearless ally that had given them all courage, was dying.

Beast lifted his shaggy head towards Belle. "You...you came back," he whispered.

"Of course I came back," she told him. "I couldn't let them..." she faltered, then bent down to hug him lovingly. "Oh, this is all my fault. If only I'd gotten here sooner." But Sora and Kairi knew where the blame truly lay.

"Maybe..." Beast went on, "it's better...it's better this way."

Belle immediately shushed him, placing a hand gently over his muzzle. "Don't talk like that," she said sternly, though her voice wavered. "You'll be all right. We're together now. Everything's going to be fine. You'll see."

With a great effort, Beast lifted a paw to caress Belle's cheek. "And...at least...I got to see you...one last time." He exhaled his final breath and laid down his great head for good.

"No, no. Please... Please..." Belle pleaded desperately, beginning to sob. "Please, don't leave me." She wept onto his still chest. "I love you."

All others present gazed transfixed as the last petal fell from the rose.

Sora couldn't take it anymore. He threw his arms around Kairi's waist and pressed his face into her stomach, soaking the canvas fabric with his tears. She cradled his head in her arms, her own tears soaking his hair.

Shing...

Kairi glanced up.

Shing...

"Sora," Kairi breathed urgently. "Look!"

Sora glanced up in time to see many colored lights streaking down from the sky. Slowly, the wind picked up and everyone watched in amazement as Beast's body started rising. The winds blew about, wrapping Beast's cloak around him like a cocoon. An arm broke free. It seemed to glow with an inner light and before their very eyes, the fur melted into skin. Where once there were claws, now there were fingers, beams of light radiating from the fingertips. Sora slowly pushed himself to his feet, his mouth open, as the same thing happened to Beast's legs.

His shirt billowed out dramatically and the brightest light yet seemed to radiate directly from his heart. The coarse, brown fur turned to fine, red hair and the ugly, beastly maw transformed into a handsome, human face. Adam's face.

The winds began calming, bringing Adam gently to the ground. Hesitantly, Belle stepped forward, then stopped as Adam stirred. Miraculously, he picked himself up and looked himself over in disbelief. He spun to face his love.

"Belle," he said, the joy in his voice barely contained. "It's me." He took her hands in his and gazed at her earnestly.

Kairi hugged Sora tightly around his chest, her cheek pressed up to his breast. He eagerly returned it, resting his cheek on top of her head. They watched the scene unfold, unable to tear their gazes away.

It didn't seem like Belle was quite convinced that the man before her was the beast she fell in love with. She reached a hesitant hand up to touch his cheek, but backed out and ran it through his hair, instead. Then, she looked up into his face, staring straight into his eyes.

"It _is_ you," she said happily in revelation, reaching for his cheek again.

He smiled lovingly at her and brushed his own hand across her temple. They looked into each other's eyes, leaning closer and closer. Then, their lips met. Blue light swept around them and fired into the sky, exploding into a firework of color. The sparks showered down on the castle, transforming it into something bright and cheerful.

Overcome with joy, Kairi placed her hands on Sora's face and brought his lips down to hers. They broke apart as light grew around them until it obscured everything.

"Fear not, children," a woman's voice assured them, giving them strength. "All is as it should be."

Their world went dark briefly, then lifted suddenly as the dark cloud was sucked back into the memory sphere. The sphere finished its flight through the air as normal and landed among the crowd.

"So," Joan sneered, unfazed by her plan's failure, "you have bested one obstacle." She snapped her fingers and a hoard of Behemoths, Invisibles, Large Bodies, and Living Bones materialized. "Let's see you best another."

Kairi grabbed Belle's hand with her left and backhanded the air with her right. All the Heartless instantly vanished. Belle and Kairi both staggered, but managed to stay standing on their own. Kairi met Joan's glare with a triumphant look of her own.

Giving them a last look of disgust, Joan of Arc crossed herself and began praying again.

"Oh, no," Sora gasped. "We have to stop her." He fired a Thundaga spell at Joan, only for it to bounce back at him, knocking him into Adam.

Belle and Kairi glanced at one another and nodded resolutely. Joining hands again, they both backhanded the air. The aura flared, absorbing the attack, and grew stronger.

"Oops," Kairi muttered weakly. Sora and Adam ran forward to support their Princesses.

"AMEN!"

Pink light flared in front of them, accompanied by a strong smell of roses, leaving behind a woman. She raised a wand at Joan's spell and it dissolved utterly before it could cause any harm.

"Be gone!" the woman said with frightening power, firing a jet of blue light. It struck Joan in the chest and she vanished, leaving only _Clé de Dieux_ as proof that she had been there.

The woman turned to them and Sora instantly knew that she was the one who had spoken to them. Her beauty was indescribable. She had shining, golden hair, a flowing, green dress, and exuded benevolent power.

The castle folk eyed the woman nervously, but Adam stepped forward and bowed. "I'm afraid it will be difficult to invite you in," he said.

She smiled kindly at him. "Yes, it seems that I have invited myself in this time. Forgive me."

"Of course."

"Now then," she began, raising her hand. The memory sphere flew to it and hovered above her palm. "This memory was plucked straight from the heart of this world and trapped within the sphere. I can release it at a safer time, but until then I charge you with protecting it." She extended her hand and the sphere flew to hover in front of Adam. He nodded once and grasped it.

Satisfied, the woman raised her hand again. This time, _Clé de Dieux_ flew to it. She offered its hilt to Sora.

The Crossroads appeared with Joan of Arc waiting for him. Without Astan's magic perverting her, Sora could see her kind eyes and determined stature.

"Your heart is pure and strong, young Master," she said, bowing to him like a man. "May God's grace be with you."

"Uh...thanks," Sora muttered, rubbing his head. "So, can you tell me anything about this war?"

She smiled and, for the first time, looked like the woman she was. "Better yet, I can show you. Prepare yourself."

She raised a hand and the Crossroads around them began changing. No...changing wasn't the right word. It was as if one reality was fading to make room for another. The dusty ground became more broken up, as if it had been struck repeatedly by powerful blows. Figures also faded into existence, Wielders and Restless locked in an epic battle.

"The Battle of the Crossroads," Joan told him, calmly watching the combatants. "The battle that started this brief period of peace."

"How did it end?" Sora asked urgently.

"Be still and watch," she chided gently.

Reluctantly, he did as he was told. A large Restless came lumbering his way and Sora jumped out of its path, straight into the path of the Wielder who was engaging the Restless. He braced himself for the impact, only to have the figures pass through him as if he wasn't there.

Joan chuckled. "This is my memory from the battle. We cannot impact it."

Intrigued, Sora glanced around for the memory version of Joan. She was several feet off, battling a heavily-muscled Restless. She wasn't struggling, but neither was she gaining.

His attention was diverted when a man ran through him. It seemed as if the man was going to help Joan, but a Spanish Restless intercepted him.

"Hello," the Restless started, brandishing a Keyblade that looked like it was made for someone with six fingers. The name _Father's Memory_ entered Sora's mind. "My name is Inigo Montoya; you killed my father; prepare to die." He attacked, using his left hand.

"Woah there, pal," the man huffed, summoning his own Keyblade to block. The shaft was all brown, fading from a sandy hue at the hilt to a palm tree hue at the tip. The hand guard looked like waves and the key part looked like palm leaves with coconuts nestled in them. A seashell keychain dangled from it. _Key to Paradise_. "Look, I don't know who your old man is, but I'm fairly certain I didn't off him."

"Liar!" the Restless Inigo spat. "You are the six-fingered man who murdered my father."

"You are one seriously messed up fruit loop," the man expressed. He raised both of his hands and spread his fingers. "Five each."

"Oh, so sorry," Inigo apologized casually, rubbing his eyes. "You see, I've got evil in my eyes and it's messing with my vision."

"If you say so," shrugged the man.

"Now then," Inigo resumed. "My name is Inigo Montoya; you didn't kill my father; prepare to die anyway."

"Okay, that's enough of this," the man decided. He pointed his Keyblade above Inigo's head, creating a torrent that washed over the Restless. The man snatched up a spare Keyblade – Sora gasped when he realized it was _The Princess Blade _– while Inigo was distracted by the spell and proceeded to outfence him.

Now that his opponent was destroyed, the man paused to catch his breath, allowing Sora to get a good look at him. He had buzzed, blond hair, blue eyes, and an energetic, fun-loving look on his face. His blue beach shirt had pictures of seagulls and blitzballs on it. The vision was completed by white beach shorts and sandals.

Unnoticed by the man, another Restless was creeping up behind him, preparing to lob his head off. It didn't get the chance, though. At the last second, the man whirled around in alarm, only to witness a large boulder materialize in the air and smash the Restless.

The man frowned, "Hon, what are you doing here?"

A woman stepped around the boulder, a sheepish look on her cheerful face, but a determined look in her large brown eyes. She wore a white sleeveless top, jean shorts, brown hiking boots, and black fingerless gloves. There was a bounce in her step that animated the brown hair she kept in a peppy ponytail. She reminded Sora of his mother, actually, only infinitely more cheerful.

"Merlin found an open door and I went through it," she stubbornly stated.

"I told you not to come," he sighed in frustration. "So just turn around and march right back through that door before you get hurt."

"I will not, Mitsuki!" she exploded angrily, shoving her Keyblade in his face. He went cross-eyed staring down its woody-brown shaft. Ivy decorated the blade. _Nature's Touch_. "If this battle is lost, so is Kingdom Hearts."

"But, hon, your condition," he reminded her calmly, clearly thinking that this would settle the argument in his favor. Oh, how mistaken he was. For you see, even if a man speaks in a forest and there is no woman around to hear him, he is still wrong.

"I'm only five weeks pregnant. I think I can risk saving the worlds," she asserted firmly, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, and you could go into labor on the battlefield thanks to the time screw-up," he countered.

She shook her head at him. "How many times do I have to explain this? Time still flows normally no matter what world you're on. It's just _between_ the worlds that time is out of sync."

Yet another cunning Restless was stealthily approaching the spatting couple. Joan, having finally finished with the heavily-muscled Restless, spotted the cunning Restless heading for Mitsuki and 'Hon.' She crossed herself and began praying.

"Fine," Mitsuki relented. "But I want you by my side the whole time."

The cunning Restless raised his Keyblade high, ready to strike.

"AMEN!"

The holy blast completely obliterated the Restless.

"I think it's more dangerous by your side, but alright," she teased, instantly releasing her anger. He laughed and gave her a quick kiss.

"Nice shot," he remarked, holding out his hand for Joan to take. "Tell you what. When this is all over, let me thank you by taking you out for a few drinks." The three ducked as a pack of Restless began attacking them. "Or, better yet," Mitsuki continued, running his Keyblade through a Restless's head, "you can come to our place and I'll whip up my famous Paopu Colada."

'Hon' disarmed another Restless and Joan finished it off. "I don't drink," Joan informed him.

"A virgin Colada then," he replied easily, throwing off a Restless with a Water spell to the chest.

Joan took a hit to her side and fell to one knee. Mitsuki immediately went to her side and blocked the blow that was meant to finish her. "A virgin...drink?" she panted.

"It means non-alcoholic," he grunted as the Restless kept hammering at him. The ground under its feet began quaking. Joan took the opportunity to sweep its legs out from under it, giving Mitsuki the chance to behead it. Satisfied that the last Restless was gone, he helped Joan up.

"Very well," Joan agreed. "If we both live at the conclusion of this battle, I will accept your offer."

"Come on, now!" Mitsuki whined playfully. "Don't say it like that. Try for a little optimism."

He laughed merrily at the look Joan gave him and that same feminine smile began creeping onto her face. A projectile came flying out of nowhere and embedded itself in Joan's neck. Then, the Crossroads abruptly snapped back to how they had first appeared.

Sora stared in disbelief and disappointment at the real Joan. "That's it?" he protested. "Where's the rest?"

"I died," she calmly responded. "There is no more."

Sora choked, "That's horrible."

"That's war," she said.

Sora's mind was still reeling dizzily because of what he'd seen. Struck down, just like that. And Mitsuki... That must have seriously shaken his confidence. Sora would never know that, though, unless another Wielder showed it to him.

"So," he began, shaking his head to clear it, "you don't know how the battle ended..."

"Correct."

"Do you know who started it?" he asked.

Joan shifted uncomfortably and looked down. "I was not much older than you when I died and I was a novice among the Wielders' ranks. I was not privileged enough to receive such information. I was only told to fight."

Novice? Ranks? Privileged? Sure, Westley had mentioned that there used to be many more Wielders and had used the term 'troops,' but Sora only now realized the implications of those facts. The Wielders used to be organized in a structured, militaristic society. Did Mickey know about this?

One last thought still irked him. "Why didn't you summon your Keyblade from me?"

Joan blinked at him in surprise. "I couldn't."

"What?"

"Do you not know?" she questioned. "No one can summon a Keyblade from the Keyblade Master.

"No," marveled Sora, shaking his head, "I didn't know that."

_Clé de Dieux_ began glowing in Sora's hand. "Our time is up," Joan observed. "Farewell, young Master." Light grew around Sora.

It faded to reveal the ballroom once more. The sphere in his hand flashed once and was absorbed through his glove. Light burst from him and his clothes transformed into heavy armor. Unprepared for the sudden gain of weight, Sora toppled forward. Now quite embarrassed, he quickly reverted and picked himself up.

The woman smiled at him in gentle amusement. "Very good," she praised him, holding out her hand once more. This time, an object formed there and she held it out to Sora. "Take it." It was a small rose charm. "Call on me, if ever you are in need." The pink light flared again and she was gone.

"Who was that?" Kairi wondered breathlessly, still dazed.

"The enchantress," Adam answered.

"_She's the enchantress?_" Sora blurted. "But she seems so..._good_, now."

Adam chuckled, "She has always been good. I am the one who was not always so. Without her, I never would have changed." Belle sighed happily and he pulled her closer. "So, the worlds have called on you again?"

"Yeah," Sora sighed.

"I have faith in you, Sora," Adam told him. He glanced around at all his subjects. "We all do." The people around him nodded in agreement and Sora felt a warmth growing in his heart. Kairi smiled at him and slid her hand in his. "Go. The worlds need you."

His spirit bolstered by all the support, Sora pumped his fist in the air. Together, he and Kairi left Adam's castle, ready to defend the next world that needed them.

* * *

**A/N: **Noone scoffs like Gaston,  
Or falls off like Gaston.  
Noone's quite as much fun to kill off as Gaston!  
As a specimen, yes he's infuriating.  
My what a douche, that Gaston!

I got bored with just copying the lines, so I thought I'd experiment a bit (mad scientist laughter). That? Oh, it was my evil side...I mean...stomach. Anyway, doing the chapter this way was fun, but it was hard! I think I'll stick with something in between. I'm open to opinions though.

...and don't lie to me! I know all of you secretly daydream about Sora and Kairi breaking out into Disney songs.

BTW, do not try to pronounce the French unless you know how to pronounce French. You _will_ get it wrong.

**New Characters:**

Prince Adam/ Beast: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
Belle: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
Joan of Arc: French heroine (lived 1412-1431)  
Lumiere: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
Cogsworth: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
Mrs. Potts: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
Babette: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
The Wardrobe: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
Philippe: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
Maurice: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
Chip: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
Gaston: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
The enchantress: Beauty and the Beast (1991)  
Mitsuki: Kingdom Hearts III...?  
'Hon': Kingdom Hearts III...?


	20. Nerds of the Worlds, Unite!

Chapter 20: Nerds of the Worlds, Unite!

"Any questions?"

_**Good guys:**_

_Sora: Dog-boy, normally human. 15 going on 16. Riku's best friend. Master of Light. Wields the Kingdom Key, among others. Brave, has an amazing sense of justice, blah, blah, blah. In love with Kairi, but romantically inexperienced...poor girl._

_Kairi: Bird-girl, normally human. 15 going on 16. Riku's other best friend. Princess of Heart. Wields Radiating Garden. In love with Sora._

_Riku: 16 going on 17. Master of Twilight. Cocky almost to the point of naivety. Masks emotions behind sarcasm. Familiar, much? Only single human, unbelievably enough._

_Roxas: Formerly Sora's Nobody, now whole. A former member of Organization XIII. Brusque but has a large heart, which reeks of irony. In love with Naminé._

_Naminé: Formerly Kairi's Nobody, now whole. Can manipulate Sora's memories, also affecting the memories of others. Chooses not to use this power. Reserved but extremely compassionate. In love with Roxas._

_King Mickey: A mouse... King of Disney Castle. A mouse. Master of Darkness. Wields the Dark Realm's Keyblade. A mouse. Riku thinks highly of him. A mouse._

_Donald: Talking duck magician... Disney Castle's Court Magician. Hard to understand. Short temper. Not single, unbelievably enough._

_Goofy: Bipedal dog... Disney Castle's Captain of the Guard. Extremely loyal. Has a unique vocabulary and laugh._

_Jiminy: Cricket. Royal Chronicler and professional conscience. On assignment from Queen Minnie (also a mouse)._

_Yuna: Transdimensional traveler, Gullwing, and recorder. Searching for her beau._

_Rikku: Transdimensional traveler, Gullwing, and recorder. Annoyingly useful twit. Yuna's cousin._

_Paine: Transdimensional traveler, Gullwing, and recorder. Thankfully sensible._

_Hojevah: God-like thing of Light._

_Jessu: God-like thing of Twilight._

_Pristi: God-like thing of Darkness._

_**Bad Guys:**_

_Heartless: Darkness given form when the heart is overcome. Examples: Guard Armor and Opposite Armor._

"_Ansem": Xehanort's Heartless. Main antagonist of the first journey. Tricked Riku into opening his heart to darkness and took control of his body. Cocky little bastard who wouldn't know bullshit if a cow dropped it on him._

_Nobodies: The mind and body left behind when a strong heart is overcome. Example: Berserkers._

_Organization XIII: Powerful Nobodies that retained their human form and memories. Had an odd choice in style._

_Xemnas: Xehanort's Nobody. Leader of the Organization. Main antagonist of the second journey._

_Halfhearted: The heart of one person combined with the mind and body of another through dark magic. Example: Berserk Armor._

_Restless: A dark puppet created from the memories still stored in a dead Wielder's Keyblade._

_Astan: Main antagonist of the present journey. Currently trying to kill Hojevah, Jessu, and Pristi in order to leave the realms defenseless. One nasty son of a bitch._

_**Conclusions:**_

_1. Halfhearted_ _are unstable.  
__2. Astan is _really _unstable.  
__3. Riku is _extremely _unstable.  
__4. Everything in general is pretty fucked up._

Yukari smirked inwardly. She liked organization so much that even her brain automatically organized information. It was a trick she'd learned growing up and made retaining information a hell of a lot easier.

"You were right," Ri admitted. "It was a long story."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Glad you figured that out." He repeated, "Any questions?"

"Nope."

Cocking an eyebrow, he looked at her skeptically. "None?"

Irritation tugged Yukari's lips into a scowl. "Quiz me, if it'll make you feel better," she retorted.

"That's okay," he replied, shaking his head. He looked up at her again, a slightly hesitant look in his eyes. "So, you still think you want to travel with us?"

Ri clucked her tongue at him, raising a finger. "There's safety in numbers, you know. I'm much better off with a group of people that have a whack job with lots of power after them, _but_ know what they're doing, than I am on my own."

"That's not what I meant," he muttered, his eyes sliding to the floor.

She knew that. She knew what he really wanted to ask was, "Do you still trust us, even though all three of us have done horrible things in the past? Do you still want to be around us, knowing what we've done?" Her way of answering the unspoken questions was to ignore them. Forgive, forget, move on.

"Did you mean 'Are you sure you want to be in a Gummi that Roxas is driving?'" she teased. Riku's head snapped up and his tortured eyes sought her own. Even with the answer staring him straight in the face, he wasn't going to let this go.

Yukari sighed and reached for one of his hands. He flinched at the touch, clearly not expecting such a forward act from her (a valid assumption normally), let alone someone he barely knew. Well...he could deal with it. Seeing others in pain made her own heart ache, despite her seemingly uncaring exterior.

"You trust me even though I attacked you," she reminded him forcibly, peering earnestly into his eyes. "Why is this any different?"

"You thought you were defending yourself," he muttered, staring at his hand in hers. Her touch was gentle, her words were not. The conflicting messages must have confused him a bit. She tended to do that to people.

She jerked his hand, bringing his eyes to her face again. "You thought you were saving Kairi." She smirked, "You're only guilty of being ridiculously naive." Mentally, she crossed her fingers. Hopefully her diagnostic jab at his ego would provide positive results.

An eyebrow rose in surprise. "Naive?" he repeated, as if the thought had never occurred to him. His eyes drifted towards a window. "Maybe I am." His lips began rising into a soft smile. "At least I can defend myself." His eyes darted back to her, sparkling with humor. "Your technique was horrible."

"It still worked," she snapped, relieved that Riku was acting normally again. Vulnerable was one look that did not suit him.

"Frankly, I'm surprised that it did," he informed her. Did she detect a hint of concern in his words? She blushed, hoping Riku would take it the wrong way, that he would think she was just embarrassed at her lack of fighting skills. The truth was she was flattered, much to her chagrin. There were people whom she had known for many years that had never shown her as much friendship as Riku had, and he'd only known her for a day. It amazed her, really, that they'd formed a bond almost instantaneously. Like charges repel each other, after all.

Mysteries of the psyche aside, this instant connection was just more proof to Yukari that there were no coincidences. There was a reason that they'd met, she was sure of that. She just didn't know what it was. Gushy romance novels rose in Yukari's mind's eye. Love at first sight? Ha, yeah right. (Damn rhyming again.) Somehow she couldn't picture Riku shouting his undying love of anyone for the world to hear, nor could she picture herself going all weepy-eyed and weak-kneed. For now, though, she had someone who could teach her swordplay.

Yukari swelled in mock indignation. "Well," she huffed, "if you're so perfect, why don't you teach me yourself?"

"I think I will," he replied in his haughtiest tone. Standing, he went out into the middle of the room, which was more open. Yukari got up and placed herself across from him, leaving Onsaken on her chair. "Stand naturally," he commanded. "Feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, arms at your sides. This is shizen no kamae."

"Natural stance," Yukari stated.

Riku nodded. "This is your base stance. All other stances come from this stance. Now, bend your knees a bit more and extend your arms out to your sides." He demonstrated for her benefit and she had to suppress a fit of giggles. It looked like he was preparing to give someone a bear hug. His blank stare told her that he knew this, too. "This is hira no kamae."

"Wind stance."

"All the defensive stances come from here. See how your legs are positioned?" He gestured at his own legs, bouncing a bit to emphasize how his knees were bent. "You want them to be like this whenever you receive an attack. Your arms can be positioned pretty much wherever you need them, but if you don't have your legs right, it won't matter where your arms are. Everything starts from the lower half."

Yukari closed her eyes and began mentally exploring the exact position her legs were in. Her weight was evenly distributed and her bent knees lowered her center of gravity. She could see why this was a defensive stance. Now that she was comfortable with her feet, she started experimenting with her arms. She loosely closed her fists and crossed her arms in front of her.

Onsaken picked up a small scuffling and Yukari opened her eyes. A good thing, too. Riku's arm swung down from above and Ri raised her arms to block, catching his arm between hers. She buckled a bit from the force, but didn't lose her balance.

"Good," he said, removing his arm and returning to his spot. "Now, back to shizen. Imagine that your left foot is on a straight line and that this line points straight at your target. Looking at your target, bring your right foot back so that it's making a forty-five degree angle with the line and pointing away from the target." That meant there were 135-degrees between her feet. "You want most of the weight on your back foot this time, about seventy percent."

Yukari shifted her weight backward by extended her back knee over her back foot. Her leg felt like a spring that had been compressed, waiting to unleash its force. Pushing off with that back foot would send her whole body forward with a lot of power behind it. She understood now when Riku had said it started with the lower half. The physics of it all was simply beautiful. Only an unsophisticated slob would willingly choose to ignore it.

"Take your left hand and extend it towards your target. Your right hand floats over your chest to protect your neck and heart. This is ichimonji no kamae."

"Number one stance. For attacking, right?" Ri asked.

"Right," Riku replied, looking pleased with her. "Again, the legs stay the same, but the arms move depending on where you need them." He raised his right hand over his head, summoning Way to the Dawn. His left arm extended in front of him, palm up, as if beckoning his attacker. "I like fighting from this position." He dropped his hands down near his waist and gripped the hilt with both of them. The tip of the Keyblade pointed backwards, the same direction as his right foot. "Sora and Roxas like fighting from here." His left hand moved towards his left foot and held an imaginary Keyblade that would have pointed at the target. "Here's what they do when they use two Keyblades. Our feet are still all the same, though."

He lifted his Keyblade above his head again. "There are two things you can do from here. You can attack..." He stepped forward, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, slashing downward as he did so. When he stopped moving, he was back in ichimonji, only in reverse. Now his left foot was the rear foot. "...or you can dodge..." He slid in the direction that his rear foot was pointing, bringing him out of the path of an oncoming attack and taking him far enough away to avoid a swing to the side. "...which sets you up for a nice counter attack." He switched his feet, bringing Way to the Dawn down again as the new lead foot stepped forward. "Let's see you try."

* * *

Onsaken flew out of Yukari's hands once again. "Keep the flow," Riku patiently reminded her for the umpteenth time. "Your movements need to be fluid, continuous. Remember to relax and breathe." He went to retrieve Onsaken for her.

Yukari growled in frustration and sat heavily. Why couldn't she do this? She understood the physics behind it perfectly, she could imagine what she needed to do perfectly, but she couldn't make her body do what she wanted. Closing her eyes, she started breathing deeply, trying to master herself.

"DA da dum, DA da dum, DA da dum, DA da-a..."

"What are you doing?" Riku asked, his voice echoing loudly in her skull due to his close proximity to Onsaken. She bit back a smart retort. He didn't deserve to have her temper taken out on him. Anyone could see that Riku was very passionate about the art of fighting. If he was any less passionate, he would have given up on her by now. But here they were, still struggling along.

"I'm humming," she said shortly, cracking open an eye. "Music calms me down." She didn't need to say that it was the only thing keeping her from blowing up on him.

"DA da dum, DA da dum, DA da dum, DA da-a..."

"No," he said, waving a hand impatiently at her. "I meant your hand."

"What about it?" she hissed, still clamping down on her rising anger.

"It was doing something." Concentration creasing his brow, he stared intently at his right arm as he began moving it in a vaguely triangular pattern, though the corners were rounded. "Something like this." His arm kept moving in that pattern, his wrist flicking lazily at each corner. Down, out, up. Down, out, up.

"Conducting," Ri concluded. "My hand must have been beating the tempo of the song I was humming without me noticing. It's in three-four, see? One, two, three. Down, out, up."

Riku studied her curiously for a few seconds, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Let's take a break," he blurted, suddenly becoming more animated. "Rikku!" he called.

A swirl of light marked the appearance of the nuisance. "How may I be of service, boss?" she chirped, saluting him.

"Can the Commsphere play music?" he asked.

"I can do you one better," she winked. "Spherechange!" Her clothes seemed to disintegrate into their individual molecules, then reformed into a new outfit. This one was a frilly orange thing with lots of blue trimming around the edges. Something that looked like a microphone was in her hands. She was bouncing around in the air even more than she normally did, almost as if she were dancing, and sparks of light that looked like music notes flew around her feet.

"What is that?" Ri cringed. She hadn't thought it possible for Rikku to become more annoying.

"Songstress dressphere," replied Rikku, twirling in the air a bit. "What kind of music did you need?"

"Something to dance to," Riku said.

"You're gonna have to be more specific than that," Rikku giggled infuriatingly. "What kind of dance. Jitterbug? Mambo? Samba? Cancan?"

Riku's eyes widened when Rikku mentioned the cancan. "No, no," he said hurriedly. Yukari didn't care to see Rikku do the cancan, either. "I was thinking a waltz actually."

Ri cocked an eyebrow at him. "A waltz?"

"Your humming put me in the mood for a waltz," he smirked at her, offering his hand. She took it and he pulled her up, placing his other hand on her side, just under her arm. Naturally, her other hand found its place on his shoulder.

"A waltz it is!" Rikku cheered. She began dancing, twirling that microphone like a magic staff. The lights swirling at her feet rose around her just as a moderate waltz tune rose in the air. Riku and Yukari tensed in excited anticipation as they waited for the introduction to finish. Then, they danced.

"Where did you learn to dance so well?" Ri wondered aloud.

"Kairi," Riku replied simply, a ghost of a smirk sparkling in his eyes. "You?"

"The symphony," she answered him.

They twirled around the room, somehow managing to avoid hitting anything, including Rikku. She was getting into the music herself, spinning and turning along with them. Ri could feel the sweat start to drip down the small of her back. Small beads of perspiration were starting to form on Riku's brow, too, but neither wanted to stop. The music seemed to close in around all of them, ensnaring them in its enticing melodies. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three...

Yukari saw something out of the corner of her eye that caused her to snort in amusement and falter.

"What?" Riku asked as he worked to lead her back to the beat.

"Your hair," she replied, biting her tongue to keep herself from laughing and losing the dance.

He frowned ever so slightly. "What about it?"

"It moves with you." A chuckle burst from her and she renewed her efforts to stay in tempo.

"Long hair usually does that," he stated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," she said, "but normally the lady has long hair." He scowled and Ri's suppressed giggling shook their carriage.

At one point, they swung outward and Riku pulled her back to him with just a bit too much force. Before either of them could process the situation, they found themselves chest to chest. As her eye level was about at Riku's chin, Yukari slowly lifted her head. He looked back at her, quite as caught off guard as she was.

Yukari tried to read Riku's thoughts and feelings. She could hear his heart fluttering nervously, but that was most likely because he was as lost as she was...or he was afraid she'd knee him in the crotch. Riku was definitely not a slave to his hormones. It wasn't like she was particularly attractive either. Years of practice had given Riku excellent control over his emotions. His body, his posture, his face betrayed nothing of what he was feeling. But Yukari knew from personal experience that no matter how much control you have, there was always one place that your emotions managed to leak out of. She searched the place where her emotions tended to show up; the eyes.

Hmph, and he thought her eyes were strange. At least hers were normal colors. There were just two different types of pigments swimming around in there. But his were bright aquamarine. What the hell kind of color is that for eyes? And who the hell honestly has not gray, but silver hair?

All this flew through her mind in the span of a breath. The next breath, Riku coughed awkwardly and shoved her away. "Sorry," he muttered.

"You'd better be," she quipped. "Now we're completely off." She hadn't seen much, but at least she knew where to look. That was good enough for now. He genuinely respected her for what was on the inside, not the outside, something she'd been craving for a long time. Most people never got past her outward problems to see the inward problems that needed attention. She'd be damned if she let Riku go on hurting like this. She respected him far too much.

"Why'd you guys stop?" Rikku's voice cut in. Thank God, or thank Jessu perhaps, that she had been too busy dancing to see what had transpired. "Are we done?"

"No," Riku replied. "Keep going." He held out his hand to Ri.

"Nuh-uh," she scoffed, pushing the hand away. "You lost your partner privileges. I'm dancing by myself now."

"Suit yourself," he shrugged nonchalantly.

Ignoring him, she closed her eyes and felt the music, using it to lead her movements. Riku was right. She had needed this break. One, two, three. One, two, three. Music and dancing, she was good at those. She understood them. One, two, three. One, two, three. The flow of the melody and the continuous movement of her feet were familiar to her. One, two, three. One, two, three.

She felt a rush of air go down the side of her head, right in the spot where her head had been a count ago. Opening her eyes, she saw Way to the Dawn as it narrowly missed her head for a second time. "Sneaky bastard," she mumbled, continuing her dance. One, two, three. One, two, three. She waltzed towards her chair where Onsaken still rested, twirling out of Riku's reach the whole time.

Without losing the tempo, she grabbed Onsaken on her way past. One, two, three. One, two, three. Now she just had to wait for the right moment. One, two, three. One... He swung. Two... She stepped back to dodge. Three... She switched her feet. One... She pressed her attack, shifting her weight with each strike. Down, out, up. Down, out, up. Her slashes matched the stroke of a baton beating out three-four. Riku had seen her hand beating three-four before, though, and blocked every strike. One, two, three. Down, out, up. Time for a time change. Down, in, out, up.

The change to four-four caught Riku off guard. He blocked the down-stroke just fine, but the in-stroke caught him on his left arm and the out-stroke caught him on his right arm before he gained his bearings enough to block the up-stroke. In an unspoken agreement, they both halted, panting raggedly as Rikku kept on dancing.

Riku grinned at her for a moment before examining where Onsaken had struck him. He reached out a hand to touch it, then quickly withdrew with a hiss. Glancing up at Ri and seeing the concern in her face, he smiled wryly. "Take a look." He showed her an angry welt on his upper arm with another to match it on the opposite arm. "Feels like a nasty case of rug burn."

"The prongs must have been vibrating when they hit you," she muttered in fascination. "That's the only way they would have created enough friction to do that."

"I could have told you that," he snorted. "I felt those vibrations all the way down to my marrow. You made my Keyblade vibrate so much every time you hit it that I almost lost it." He put on a more thoughtful expression. "It won't matter that you're not a good fighter if you learn how to use Onsaken right." She eyed him angrily. "Not that you can't become a good fighter," he amended hastily.

"That's what I thought," she bit.

Riku pushed himself up, summoning his Keyblade. "Come on," he said, a childlike eagerness shining in his eyes. "Let's go again."

Ri laughed at him in amusement. "You really take this teaching thing seriously." She raised Onsaken in ichimonji.

He just smirked and moved into his version of ichimonji. But, it didn't seem like his sword arm was as high as before. He was holding his shoulder funny. His shoulder...

"No," she protested, dropping Onsaken. "You're done."

"What?" he spluttered. "But...but you're doing so well."

"Then Roxas can come and fight me," she replied stubbornly, walking over to him and forcing him into a seat. Way to the Dawn was still in his hand, so she wrenched it from his surprised grasp and threw it over her shoulder, causing it to vanish in a swirl of light. "You are going to stay here while I look for some ice."

"Ice?" Rikku suddenly joined into the conversation, the music stopping abruptly. "Whacha need ice for?"

"Riku's swollen brain," she growled. Stupid, macho idiot. He shouldn't have pushed himself so hard. _She _should have stopped him. How could she forget something like that?

"My shoulder is fine," Riku said evenly, staring Yukari down.

She punched his shoulder and he winced. "Oh yeah, looks fine to me," she snapped. "Moron. You shouldn't have been using it at all."

"It felt fine until you hit it," he argued. "And besides, we healed it. Remember?"

"That's beside the point!" she exploded. "I don't care what hocus pocus you did to it, you need to give it more time to heal before you reinjure it."

"One cold shoulder, coming up," Rikku interrupted. Her outfit had changed again into a purple witch's outfit. She pointed her swirly, colorful staff at Riku's shoulder and yelled, "Blizzard!" Frost shot from the staff's end and soon Riku's shoulder was covered in a thin layer of ice.

"You're as dumb as he is!" Ri bellowed at Rikku. "You could have hurt him more."

"No I couldn't," Rikku giggled, winking aggravatingly. "Paine found out that we're weaker here because we're smaller. How did she say it? 'Our size decreased by a factor of ten, which also decreased all of our stats by a factor of ten.'"

Ri huffed angrily, mostly because she hadn't though of that. It made sense. It was also a bit humiliating that_ Rikku _had beaten her to it.

The Gummi bucked violently all of a sudden. Frowning, Riku began to make his way to the cockpit, a worried expression on his face. Not wanting to miss the chance to see some possible Heartless action, Ri followed. Ahead of her, the door to the cockpit silently slid open. Riku took a step through it and stopped dead in his tracks.

"– get for not putting it in autopilot," Naminé chided.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I said this was a bad idea from the..." Roxas's rant was cut short as he let out a low moan.

"Shut up," Naminé shushed him seductively.

Ri stepped forward to look over Riku's shoulder, her curiosity having finally got the better of her. Roxas was sitting in the pilot's chair with Naminé kneeling on his lap, the latter tickling the former's neck with many kisses. It was a wonder Roxas could drive at all like that, aside from the obvious fact that Naminé was turning Roxas into an incoherent mess. He was straining his neck to see over her, which just provided more kissing surface, and his arms could barely reach the controls once they detoured around Naminé's hips. With a sigh of pleasure, Roxas gave up on driving and flicked the autopilot switch with one hand while flicking Naminé's exposed hind quarters with the other. She giggled madly and dove for his lips.

"Something tells me they don't get that from Sora and Kairi," Ri remarked dryly, earning a snort and a smirk from Riku.

Roxas jumped badly, sending Naminé shrieking to the floor. "Nothing happened!" he blurted.

"Define nothing," Riku said smugly.

Naminé huffed indignantly and straightened. "Well, if you'd just been given a new body, what would you do with it?" she shot back, her eyes alight with a fire that didn't seem to fit her personality. It must have been the hormones. The fire died when she looked towards Riku. "Why is there ice on your shoulder?"

Riku grunted, "Mommy likes to play nurse."

"Mommy wouldn't have to play nurse if Dipshit didn't like to spar and waltz with an injured shoulder," Ri retorted.

"What? You mean what Berserk Armor did?" Roxas asked. "I thought we healed that."

"Not entirely," Naminé explained. "It still needs some time to completely heal or it'll just pop out again."

"Thank you!" Ri expressed, gesturing at Naminé.

"Why were you waltzing?" Roxas asked curiously.

"It helped Ri find the flow," Riku explained. Roxas just nodded in comprehension.

"Uh...guys?" Rikku twittered nervously. "Shouldn't someone start the landing procedure right about now?"

They all looked out the front window to see a large clock tower approaching them at a frightening speed. Roxas scrambled for the controls, disengaging the autopilot, and pulled up sharply. Riku grabbed the throttle and cut the engines. Once the Gummi was upright, Riku let the thrusters fire again, slowing the ship enough to let them hover above the surface of the world. Now that the danger of a collision had passed, everyone started breathing again.

"Where are we?" Yukari asked shakily, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

"Twilight Town," Roxas answered quietly. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and noticed that he looked a touch green himself, although that was most likely for a different reason.

"Well..." Riku sighed, running a hand through his hair, "it's pretty obvious that this world is a twilight world." He walked over to Roxas and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I can go alone."

"No," Roxas muttered, shaking his head slowly, but firmly. "Let's go."

* * *

"It's quiet," Naminé whispered, as if not wanting to break that quiet.

Riku looked questioningly at Yukari. "It's not like it was in Traverse Town," she assured him. "I don't think this has anything to do with Astan."

"I still wish I knew where everyone was," Naminé quailed. "This is creepy."

"The Sandlot," Roxas said with a smile. He pointed at a garish poster that was one of many plastering the walls. "Struggle tournament. Nobody misses it. And yes, I meant to say nobody."

"I thought that was an annual thing," Riku remarked. "It hasn't been a year yet."

"Maybe here, it has been a year," Naminé suggested.

The talk about time didn't interest Yukari, so she busied herself with the poster. She spotted a familiar name among the four finalists; Hayner. "Are we going?" she asked.

"Yes," Roxas replied. He had a look in his eye that reminded Yukari of fans at a sporting match. It was easy to figure out Roxas's reasons for going. She sighed and looked at Riku.

"Might as well start there," he shrugged.

It was easy to tell when they started getting close to the Sandlot. People of all sizes, ages, colors, genders, and preferences were screaming at the top of their lungs for one person or another.

"Look!" Naminé squealed excitedly, indicating the score board. "Hayner won the tournament."

Up on the platform, a punk kid in camo was readying himself to square off against a punk teen in a white overcoat with a scar across his face. "Then why is another match starting?" Ri asked irritably.

"The tournament winner gets to face last year's winner for the belt and trophy," Roxas explained. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Go Hayner! Kick Seifer's ass!" Hearing this, the camo kid looked round and spotted them. He grinned widely and gave a thumbs up before concentrating on his Struggle match again.

"Did he recognize you?" Riku blurted quickly.

"No," Roxas replied, shaking his head. "That's just how Hayner is." At that moment, Hayner winked at a girl who had just cheered loudly for him. "See? Besides, if anyone asks, we're friends of Sora."

"I love it," Ri chuckled. "Deceitful honesty. You're such an oxymoron."

"So funny I forgot to laugh."

"Begin!"

Seifer immediately took the offensive by lunging at Hayner. The smaller boy quickly slipped behind him and landed a powerful downward slash on Seifer's exposed back. Colored orbs sprouted from the 'wound.'

"You'll pay for that, Blondie," Seifer snarled.

"You'll have to catch me first," Hayner taunted, dancing around Seifer, occasionally landing a hit and producing more orbs.

"Yeah, Hayner!" Roxas cheered. "He totally stole that Reversal move from us," he added as a side note. Watching the match eagerly, he began punching the air as if he was the one in the ring.

Something didn't add up to Yukari, though. "The point is to collect the most of those orbs, right?" she asked Riku. He had not given in to his masculinity, thankfully.

"Right."

"Then why isn't Hayner trying to collect any?"

With one more strong hit from Hayner, Seifer went sprawling on the ground. Seifer groaned once, but didn't get up. Hayner took the opportunity to grab as many orbs as he could.

"Never mind."

The clock slowly counted down the few seconds left in the match. At the last ten seconds, Seifer picked himself up, but the damage was done. Three...two...one...

"And the winner is, Hayner!"

* * *

"Riku, how much was on that computer in the mansion?" Roxas asked nervously as they walked through the back alley.

"Some of Ansem's science gobbledygook, copies of Sora's memories, and that virtual Twilight Town you were in," he responded, stopping just in front of some tattered curtains.

Voices drifted from beyond the curtain. "This time, these crystals are legit, won fair and square in a Struggle tournament," came Hayner's voice.

Roxas gulped and glanced at the curtain warily. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"Right," another boy's voice said. This had to be Pence. "Red for you, yellow for Olette, and green for me."

"You said it yourself, Roxas," Naminé reminded him gently. "They know everything that goes on here and they already know a bit about the worlds."

"Who are you going to give the blue one to?" a girl asked, Olette. Obviously, Yukari was the only one who could hear both conversations.

Riku stuffed his hands in his pockets. "They're our best bet unless you feel like trekking all the way up to Yen Sid's place."

"A promise is a promise," Hayner said firmly.

Roxas stared Riku down, then sighed and nodded. He faced the curtain, clenched his fists, and took a deep breath.

"Good grief!" Ri blurted, shoving Roxas through the curtain. He threw out his hand to catch himself and ended up gripping the curtain. It held him for a moment before ripping free, leaving Roxas to crash to the floor. "They needed to be replaced anyway."

Furiously, Roxas extracted himself from the curtains just in time to catch the blue crystal that Hayner had thrown at him. "You klutz!" Hayner joked. "Who do you think you are, Sora?" He gave Roxas a huge wink.

Roxas groaned and threw the curtains back over his head. "You read everything on Ansem's computer," he said, his voice muffled from the fabric.

"Well, duh!" Hayner sniped. "You didn't honestly think we'd pass up that opportunity, did you?"

Tearing the curtain off him, Roxas balled it up and threw it angrily at Riku's head. "Hey!" Riku snapped, swatting it away. "It's not my fault Sora's an idiot."

"Dudes, calm down," Hayner insisted. "It's cool."

"Besides," Pence said pompously, "I could have cracked that password, no sweat."

"No arguments there," Roxas replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"It was really weird, though," Olette began. "When we started reading the stuff about the virtual Twilight Town, we started actually remembering it, too."

"Oh no," Naminé moaned. "I'm sorry. That wasn't supposed to happen. I –"

Hayner cut her off with a wave of his arm. "I told you, it's cool."

"I bet it would've happened anyway," Pence speculated.

"What?" Naminé breathed.

"Sure!" he assured her. "Right from the beginning, Sora seemed familiar and none of us could figure out why. It's because we were starting to remember what our virtual selves went through."

She sighed helplessly, "I've really made a mess of things."

"Nah," Hayner drawled. "You just made things more interesting."

"Now then," said Olette, reaching behind the couch she was sitting on and pulling up a blue box. "Who wants some Sea-Salt Ice Cream?" Roxas burst out laughing as she started handing them out.

Riku watched her with a stony look on his face. "The real Twilight Town doesn't have Sea-Salt Ice Cream," he stated quietly.

"I know!" Olette complained. "I have to put a special order in for it all the way from Radiant Garden."

"Say what?" Roxas asked quickly.

"Didn't you know?" Pence questioned them. "Ansem had this computer networked with his computer in Radiant Garden through the DTD. That password was cake, too."

"Tron's got some great hookups," Hayner remarked.

"Check it out!" Pence said excitedly, pulling out a laptop. "My parents gave this to me for my birthday and Tron helped me network it." He placed it on a crate and started booting it up.

Something didn't quite add up for Yukari, but she couldn't figure out what. Hayner, Pence, and Olette weren't concerned that Sora's and Kairi's 'Nobodies' were eating ice cream with them. Then again, they could have heard what happened to Roxas and Naminé from anyone at Radiant Garden. What was she missing?

"Welcome to the DTD."

Sighing, she gave up and took a lick of the ice cream bar Olette had handed her. It was sour at first from the concentrated salt, but instantly melted into a smooth, creamy sweetness. The sudden change in flavor just enhanced the sweet taste. Angels had descended from on high and placed a chunk of heaven on a stick for her to consume.

"Greetings, User Pence."

"Hey Tron."

Her eyes flew open midlick. They weren't inquiring about her at all. Olette had handed her the ice cream, no questions asked. She scarfed down the rest of the ice cream in a couple bites.

"I take it you like computers?" she asked nonchalantly.

"He's a freaking computer nerd," Hayner and Roxas snorted together.

"Scanners indicate presence of other Users," Tron's voice sounded from the speakers. "Identification complete. Greetings, Users Hayner, Olette, Riku, Rikku, Roxas, Naminé, and Yukari."

Rikku's head peeked out of Riku's pants pocket. "Oh, he's good."

"You should see it when those two get together with Leon and Cid," Olette giggled.

"Total nerd convention," Hayner joked.

Riku smirked, "I wouldn't call Leon a nerd, even if he does like computers."

"That's a lot of brain power," remarked Ri. "I bet it's even enough to hack into say...a boy genius's invention." She folded her arms across her chest and gave them her best you-can't-pull-a-fast-one-on-me look.

Hayner whistled. "Busted."

"Say what?" Rikku queried.

"The nerd convention hacked into the Commspheres," Ri deadpanned.

Pence began wringing his hands sheepishly. "We just wanted to keep tabs on you guys, you know, make sure you haven't gotten yourselves killed."

"Okay," Riku shrugged.

"You're not mad?" Hayner blurted incredulously.

"You're not going to fix the program?" Pence asked in astonishment.

Riku shook his head. "We need all the help we can get this time around."

"Besides," Rikku inserted, "if we asked Shinra to fix it, he'd probably say, 'I'm just a kid.'"

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Ri interrupted. "Have you noticed anything wrong around here?"

They were about to reply when Rikku yelped and tumbled out of Riku's pocket. "Hold that thought!" she cried. "We're getting a call." She set the Commsphere down in the middle of the room.

The screen flickered to life, showing them a lush grassland. Something that looked like a dragonfly was zipping close by and two medium-sized lions were prowling in the grass. One was a dark-colored male with a messy, brown mane and a crown pendant around its neck. The other was a dark-colored female with a tuft of chestnut hair on the tip of her tail.

Glancing at the screen, the male yowled in alarm and jumped off screen. A moment later, he dragged the female off with him.

"What's up, Sora?" Hayner greeted.

"Are you and Kairi in the Pride Lands?" Pence asked.

Lion Sora crept back onscreen, hunched down, and growled. His meaning couldn't have been clearer than if he'd said, "What are they doing here and how do they know?"

"They read everything on the computer in the mansion, got in contact with Radiant Garden because Ansem had it networked to the DTD, and worked together with Tron, Leon, and Cid to hack into the Commspheres," Roxas rattled off.

Sora scratched his head with a paw. ("Say what?")

Huffing in an imitation of laughter, Kairi rejoined Sora. She cuffed his head with her paw. ("You dork!")

"They know everything," Riku summed up.

Sora snorted. ("Oh.")

"So, why'd you call, dog-boy?" Yukari smirked.

Sora growled low in his throat. ("Hey! I'm a lion, thank you very much.")

"Lion, dog, they're both mammals," she said snidely.

"Ignore her," Riku told them, rolling his eyes.

"Did you find out why time is all messed up?" Olette prodded helpfully.

Sora's ears shot straight up. ("Oh yeah!") He gestured broadly with a paw and began walking in place. ("Time runs normally for everyone no matter where they are...") He help up one paw and his tail began moving back and forth like a metronome. It began wagging faster as he raised the other paw. ("...but it's out-of-sync between the worlds.")

Yukari threw her hands in the air. "Okay, this charades deal is weirding me out," she blurted.

"You're not the only one," Hayner said wryly.

"I suppose it's part of the magic that turned them into lions in the first place," Naminé surmised.

"Does this sort of thing happen often?" Ri asked.

"Pretty much," everyone answered, except for Sora and Kairi. They did their weird charade version of the response. Yukari groaned.

Kairi butted Sora out of the way so that she was in the center of the screen. She reared up on her hind legs and gave a terrifying roar, her claws flashing in the savannah light. Then, she dropped the ferocious lion act and started walking around as if she were still human. ("The enchantment on Adam's Castle was broken, you know, Beast. Everyone's human again!")

"That's wonderful!" Naminé sighed happily, laying her head on Roxas's shoulder.

"It's just like one of those romantic fairy tales," Olette gushed, clasping her hands in front of her.

Sora shoved Kairi aside. ("There's one more thing we need to talk about.") He summoned an ornate, but clearly powerful, Keyblade and gripped the hilt with his teeth. ("The Keyhole.")

"Right," Riku muttered, an intense look on his face. But, that was as far as the conversation got. An earthquake rocked the ground, shaking the rotting rafters perilously and throwing everyone to the floor. Both lions began roaring in concern.

"Oh man, what was that?" Pence moaned, covering his head.

"I don't know, but we should probably check it out," Roxas said groggily.

Riku turned to his friends on the Commsphere screen with a reassuring smirk on his face. "We'll pick this up later," he said.

"See you later, alligators," Rikku chirped, turning the Commsphere off.

"You three, stay here," Roxas ordered Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

Summoning their Keyblades, Riku and Roxas charged out the curtainless entryway. Naminé quickly followed, Rikku hitching a ride on her shoulder, with Yukari bringing up the rear. Ri prayed fervently to whoever would listen that she hadn't gotten herself in over her head.

* * *

**A/N: **Lookit that! I finally managed to fit this chapter in. It was actually supposed to be chapter 16, but that was when I foolishly thought that I could get Monster's Inc. in one chapter (AHA! AHA! AHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!). Then, it was supposed to be chapter 18, but I decided that Mickey needed some lovin'. So now it's chapter 20.

FYI, the martial arts stuff is the real deal. I tried martial arts for a while when I first started college. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to continue with it. That doesn't mean I can't kick ass if I want to. What's cool is that everything I mentioned really is in the games. It's not quite as clear cut as I make it out to be, but it is there.

Fun fact: The idea for Yukari's eyes did not come out of nowhere. Mine totally did that when I was little. They're mostly green now, but once in a while I swear they've gone back to blue.

**New Characters:**

Hayner: Kingdom Hearts II  
Seifer: Final Fantasy VIII  
Pence: Kingdom Hearts II  
Olette: Kingdom Hearts II


	21. We Are Two

Chapter 21: We Are Two

"Oh man," Sora yowled, starting to pace anxiously in front of the black Commsphere screen. "Oh man, oh man, oh man."

"Don't worry, Sora," Kairi purred reassuringly. "They'll be okay."

"I know but...oh man, I hate waiting," he moaned. "And our time is going the fastest, so we'll have to wait even longer."

"Worrying about it will just make it worse," Jiminy said from within Sora's shaggy mane. "Visiting Simba will help take your mind off this."

"He's right, you know," Yuna inserted, zipping jerkily around Sora's head as only a dragonfly would and making his eyes spin.

"I know," Sora sighed. They just didn't appreciate how unpredictable death was. Granted, Sora hadn't mentioned Joan's memory. He'd told them the important stuff, like the time screw-up, but he didn't want to burden them with the unnecessary, grim details.

Still pacing uneasily, he headed towards a brown expanse separated from the Pride Lands by a river, then about-faced back towards Pride Rock. As he started another cycle, he saw something that stopped his heart, and his feet. He gasped as he saw flames start to flicker in that brown land.

Kairi looked worriedly at him, then followed his gaze. "Sora!" she cried. "That lioness we saw hunting went over there. We have to warn Simba."

The flames spread at an alarming rate, devouring the dry grass hungrily. "There's no time," he said anxiously. "You go warn Simba. I'm going after her."

Sora tore off in the direction of the river and the wasteland beyond it without waiting for Kairi's answer. The bank drew closer, but Sora just sped up. One last burst of speed brought him to the edge. Just as Nala had taught him, he used his powerful hind legs to propel him all the way to the opposite bank. His claws dug into the baked earth and he skidded to a halt.

"Too bad Axel's not here," Sora muttered, gazing somberly around as the fire raged on all sides. "We could use his help."

"He won't be helping anyone again, unfortunately," Jiminy whispered sadly into Sora's ear.

Sora said nothing, but ran off in the direction that the lioness had gone. If Ansem's apprentices were alive again, why wouldn't the rest of Organization XIII be also? It was an optimistic thought, even for Sora. If they _were_ still alive, they were probably scattered across the worlds. The chances of finding them were slim.

The heat soon pushed all other thoughts out of Sora's mind. He had to find that lioness before they both died. Through the smoke that clouded Sora's senses, he could discern a large rock formation jutting out of the landscape, high enough to escape the ravaging fire. A sleek figure jumped out of the flames and clawed for the edge. The figure scrambled frantically on the rock face before finally pushing itself over the top and collapsing. The lioness!

Sora tried to sprint to her aide, but the smoke and ash in the air made it difficult to breathe. His muscles screamed in protest from the lack of oxygen, but Sora pushed on. While her height protected her from the flames, the lioness was still in danger of suffocating in the smothering smoke.

A floating mask wreathed in blue flame rammed Sora's side, knocking him off his feet. "Shaman," Sora coughed weakly, pushing himself to his paws and summoning his Keyblade.

Limbs sprouted from the mask as the Heartless regained its normal form, looking uncomfortably similar to Rafiki. He unleashed a powerful, fatal combo before the Shaman could perform any of its irritating voodoo, or worse, find a Living Bone to saddle up. He shuddered at the thought.

A coughing fit racked Sora's body, causing him to drop his Keyblade. Its characteristic swirling lights blended perfectly into the warped air caused by the heat of the flames. "Should've known the Heartless were behind this," Sora berated himself quietly.

He looked towards the rock formation and was surprised to see another male lion climbing down its side, the lioness hanging limply on his back. The newcomer was darker in color than most lions, like Scar had been. That didn't worry Sora so much. It was the fierce, wild look in his eyes that worried Sora.

Sora dashed towards the male lion as his paws touched the ground. "This way!" he cried, summoning his Keyblade and casting Blizzaga towards the river. The spell shot off through the flames, melting as it went and dousing a path for them. For a moment, the other lion just stared at the Keyblade with something that looked almost like disgust, but he shook it off and started moving.

The smoke was so thick now that Sora wouldn't have been able to see a thing even if he could've pried open his stinging eyes. Because of this, he was surprised when his paws landed on air instead of earth and he tumbled headlong into the still river. The cold water was enough to clear his smoke-muddled head. Paddling madly for the surface, Sora broke through and gasped down the wonderfully clean air hovering over the water.

His celebration was cut short when an irritated voice huffed, "Help me." The voice sounded so much like Max that Sora actually looked around for Goofy's son before realizing that the male lion had spoken. He was struggling through the water with the unconscious lioness. Together, they managed to drag her to the Pride Lands's shore.

"Whew! That was close," Sora coughed tiredly, collapsing onto the sand. "The name's Sora. How about you?"

The lion sneered at Sora on the ground and planted his feet more firmly, ignoring his exhaustion. Apparently, he was not impressed with Sora's display of weakness. "Kovu," he said.

Suddenly, the lioness coughed and pushed herself up, swaying unsteadily. "Woah there," Sora cried, rising. "Take it easy. That fire almost got you." He went over to give her a steadying arm, then remembered he didn't have arms and quickly tried to figure out a way to compensate. The point became moot quickly, however.

"I'm fine," she growled stubbornly, jerking away.

"Thanks to us," Kovu snorted indignantly. "If we hadn't gotten you back to the Pride Lands –"

"The Pride Lands?" she yowled. "Why did you take me to the Pride Lands?"

Kovu's mouth opened in disbelief. "Maybe because it wasn't burning?"

"Hey, hey, hey, hey," Sora intervened, wedging himself between them. "Why don't we start over? Hi, my name's Sora. What's yours?"

"Kiara," she snapped.

"See, that wasn't so hard," Sora chided. He gestured at Kovu. "This is my friend –"

"I don't care who he is!" Kiara yelled at the same time Kovu bit, "We're not friends."

Sora groaned. Why did both of them have to be so difficult? "Well I thought 'acquaintance' was too weak a word after what we just went through. How is it that a language with so many words can be incapable of describing so many things?"

Kiara rolled her eyes and made to leave, but Kovu blocked her way. She glared at him and hopped quickly to the side in an attempt to get around him, but he easily followed her movements. She tried again...and again...until Kovu finally raised his eyebrows and asked, "What are you doing?"

Kiara's hostility instantly vanished and her ears perked up hopefully. "Kovu?" she risked hesitantly. He just smirked at her in confirmation.

"Wait, you guys know each other?" Sora groaned incredulously.

They were spared from explaining when someone overhead cried, "Over here, sire!" Sora glanced up to see Zazu, the blue hornbill that was Simba's major domo. Moments later, Simba came crashing through the grass, followed shortly by Kairi, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa, and the rest of his pride.

Her expression darkening again, Kiara frowned at Simba. "Father, why did you lie to me?" she accused. Sora suppressed another groan, this time cursing the time screw-up. Enough time had passed here for Nala's unborn baby to grow into a young lioness.

"To keep Outsiders like him away from you," Simba snarled, baring his teeth at Kovu. "You are not to go hunting again alone, especially not in the Outlands."

"_What?_" Kiara cried in outrage.

"Simba, that's a little harsh, don't you think?" Kairi asked gently. Simba's eyes stayed fixed on Kovu; he only indicated that he had heard Kairi by flicking his ears in her direction. "It's not like the fire was her fault."

"Yeah," Sora said hastily, picking up Kairi's argument. "It was the Heartless, you know, those Shaman guys. And Kovu –"

"Kovu!" Simba spat. He let out a terrific roar, which was heartily returned by Kovu, creating a contest of roars between them.

"Stop it, both of you!" Sora commanded. They both immediately quieted and turned to him, looking shell-shocked at his interruption. "All this roaring is completely pointless." Now everyone else was giving him strange looks, too.

Simba shook his head and allowed a brief smile to cross his face before his fierce demeanor returned. "It's a lion thing, Sora," he explained patiently, but firmly. "Stay out of it."

"No," Sora asserted angrily, not at all happy with Simba treating him like this, like he was just a child that didn't know anything. "I won't sit back while you treat Kovu like a criminal when he's the reason your daughter is still alive."

Clapping began echoing around them at Sora's words. He looked around and spotted Rafiki, the baboon shaman, applauding from atop a boulder. "Well said, brother, well said."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked suspiciously.

The baboon grinned maniacally. "It means that we are the only two who are not baboons," he cackled madly.

Simba shot Rafiki a dirty look before staring Kovu down again. "Why did you do it?"

Kovu straightened regally. "I humbly ask to join your pride," he announced unabashedly.

"No," Simba snapped quickly. "You were banished along with the other Outsiders."

"I left the Outsiders," Kovu said simply, never once letting his posture diminish. "I am a rogue. Judge me now for who I am." Here, he sagged a bit in defeat, sighing, "Or am I to be blamed for a crime I didn't commit?"

Simba snarled and began pacing agitatedly. Fed up with Simba's stubbornness, Sora stepped in Simba's path. He lowered his head and asked quietly, "What is with you, Simba? He saved Kiara."

"He's an Outsider," Simba whispered furiously. "One of them."

"So?"

"You wouldn't understand," Simba sighed in frustration.

Sora peered earnestly into Simba's amber eyes. "Then help me understand." Simba had changed a lot from the unconfident young king Sora had known and Sora wasn't sure if that was a good thing. "Being king doesn't mean you have to do everything alone."

Simba gave Sora a helpless look that was tinged with, surprisingly enough, hatred. "Sora," he said gravely, in his quietest tone yet, "he's Scar's heir."

Taken aback, it took Sora a minute to gather his wits. He began to study Kovu in detail, opening all of his senses. Underneath the smoke smell that was heavy on everyone, Sora detected a familiar scent cloaking Kovu. It was a rotten smell that reminded him of Randall. Now that he thought about it, Scar had smelled the same way. The three scents were unique, but still similar.

Was this the darkness that Sora was smelling? Riku had mentioned this talent of his to Sora, even though it wasn't what it once was, but Riku made it seem like it stemmed from his dark powers. Perhaps Sora's heightened senses in his various forms, coupled with the growing darkness in his heart, was granting him this new ability.

Another faint scent passed over Sora's nose, almost too fleeting to catch. It was fresh and crisp, like the morning air, but was quickly overpowered by the dark stench. No matter how hard Sora strained, he couldn't pick up the second scent again. It was as if the darkness was trying to snuff it out...

Sora's head shot up in realization. "Give me a couple of days with him," Sora suggested, flashing Simba a reassuring grin. "You'll be ready to call him 'son' when I'm done with him."

Simba just snorted at the ridiculous notion, but grudgingly turned back to Kovu. "Very well. I have a debt to settle with you anyway. I withhold your judgment until a later date." He turned and headed back towards Pride Rock, not once looking back. Everyone shortly followed.

Sora sighed heavily, gazing after Simba sadly. His spirits rose marginally when Kairi nuzzled him under his chin. "You didn't tell me Simba had a daughter," she purred soothingly.

"He didn't last time I saw him," Sora replied. "In some ways, he's changed so much, but in other ways, he hasn't changed at all." He shook his head, sighing again.

"If you ask me, he's trying to be a good king and a good father at the same time, and failing miserably," Yuna inserted.

"No one did!" Sora snapped. Yuna buzzed angrily, but he ignored her.

"Calm down, Sora," Jiminy scolded. "You know as well as I do that Simba's had trouble with this from the beginning." Sora huffed, not willing to admit that Jiminy was right. "You should talk to him."

Sora lowered his head. Truthfully, Sora didn't want to talk to the King of Pride Rock, he wanted to talk to his friend. Unfortunately, it didn't look like that would happen. It had to be done, though, so Sora took a deep breath and trotted to Simba's side. The king was walking stiffly and didn't even glance at Sora.

"Hey," Sora said softly. "Can you come down off your throne for a minute and be my friend again?"

Simba sighed and turned to gaze at Sora. "I'm sorry, Sora," he muttered. "I know you mean well. Can you forgive me?"

One of his trademark grins growing, Sora replied, "Now that's a silly question to ask."

Simba chuckled quietly. "It's been a while." He looked Sora over quickly and frowned in confusion, "Or has it?"

"Time is all screwed up between the worlds," Sora groaned. "A month on one world might be years on another."

Looking at Sora in astonishment, Simba whispered, "Altering time itself? I can't even imagine how strong someone would have to be to do that."

"...I know," Sora admitted even more quietly. Seeing Adam nearly die and witnessing Joan's memory had brought the possibility of death to the forefront of Sora's mind. More importantly, it evoked a new, unfamiliar emotion in Sora's heart: doubt. Hearing the truth voiced by Simba, one of many who relied on Sora's unwavering confidence, sent fear coursing through his veins and shivers down his spine.

"Suddenly my problems seem small," Simba muttered regretfully.

"They still exist, though," Sora pointed out, quashing his own concerns with great effort. He needed to focus on the problem at hand, not worry about what the future might bring.

"What do you see in him?" Simba asked. The notion that Kovu was anything but evil seemed incomprehensible to him.

With a humorous grin, Sora said, "Trust me, Simba, my nose knows."

Simba pierced Sora with a stern glare. "You're basing your judgement on the way he smells?"

"That..." Sora muttered pensively, "...and he reminds me of Riku."

They'd reached the entrance to the den tucked away in the crags of Pride Rock. Simba turned to Sora with a resigned look on his face. "I hope you know what you're doing," he sighed.

"Not really," Sora admitted brightly, "but when do I ever?"

He offered Simba a reassuring grin to ease his worries. It worked for a while, until Kovu walked up the path. He was following the line of lions into the cave. Simba snarled and headed Kovu off. "Not you," he growled, rudely pushing past and entering the den.

Kovu snorted angrily and headed towards the lee of a boulder. With a resigned sigh, he plopped onto his stomach.

Out of a sense of duty to Simba, Sora walked to Kovu, giving him a warm smile. "You'll have to excuse Simba," Sora explained, "he's a bit stressed."

"A bit?" Kovu sneered, placing his head on his paws. One eye lazily regarded Sora. "What kind of a lion are you, anyway?"

A wry smile curled Sora's lips. "One of a kind."

Kairi and Kiara ambled over, chatting amiably. As soon as Kiara noticed Kovu, she fell silent, smiling shyly. "Thanks," she murmured with a slight giggle, "...for before, you know?"

"I remember," he snorted, rolling his eyes. "Some hunter you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kiara snapped angrily, forgetting to be shy.

"I bet you couldn't catch a sick wildebeest on a cloudy day," Kovu boldly challenged, a smug smile in place.

"Hmph!" she snorted, glowering at the moron digging his own grave. "If you're so _spectacular_, then I bet you could turn me into a decent hunter easily," she asserted slyly.

Kovu's grin grew even more smug. "I bet I could," he anted up with an obnoxious amount of confidence.

"You're on!" Kiara called in triumph. "You, me, water hole, dawn." Without waiting for a response, she spun and headed in for the night, her tail high in the air.

"Uh..." Sora stammered, caught off guard by the rapid change of events and Kiara's abrupt departure. "Good luck with that."

"I eagerly await it," Kovu said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, though he smirked in a sinisterly triumphant way.

"Good night," Kairi said politely as she and Sora began to cross the awkward distance to the den.

A strong wind gusted from Sora's left, a handful of maroon leaves and white pieces of fuzz dancing on the air currents. It reminded of him of potpourri. The notion was so ridiculous, he chuckled quietly. The potpourri swirled around his mane and curled around his nose before dancing on. Sora coughed. It certainly didn't smell like potpourri. His nose picked up the musky scent of lion and the foul scent of darkness.

As discretely as possible, so as not to alert Kairi, he glanced in the direction the wind had blown from. Far in the distance, he made out two shadowy figures keeping vigil in the branches of a tree. Another strong gust of wind rustled the leaves, bringing the same scent again.

He glanced back at Kovu, already sleeping peacefully. The poor, unfortunate soul was just a pawn in an evil plot, a tool for the darkness. If nothing was done soon, he would be completely consumed.

"Not if I can help it," Sora growled quietly. He understood now what that second, fainter scent was. It was Kovu's light, the light deep down that never goes out, still fighting hard to break through the darkness encasing it. All Sora needed to do was fuel its fire.

First thing first, though. Sora had to figure out what Kovu was planning...

* * *

The air was still and stifling as the sun rose the next morning, painting the sky with brilliant oranges, reds, and pinks. Perfect. Kovu could care less about the beautiful colors; the only color he wanted to see was the red of Simba's blood. The conditions were excellent for hunting, though. With no wind, there would be nothing to carry Kovu's scent or noises to Simba.

His length shivered in anticipation and he began kneading the ground to ease his restlessness, as well as to get a feel for the terrain. Little did the false king know that he was being watched while he drank from the water hole. Soon, Simba would be no more and Kovu would take his rightful place on the throne. Kovu _would_ be King of Pride Rock. It was destiny.

Simba raised his head and glanced around uneasily, as one does when one feels like one is being watched. Finding nothing, he continued lapping up the sweet liquid. Much to his chagrin, Kovu found himself admiring Simba's instincts. It pleased him to know that his opponent was a worthy one. But...business was business...

A peculiar sensation crawled up Kovu's spine, causing another shiver to take hold of him. Kovu looked around, as Simba had done, dreading the potential, terrible irony of the situation. Opening all of his senses, Kovu quickly, but carefully, examined his surroundings. Once satisfied that no one was watching him, he returned to the task at hand.

If his mother, Zira, hadn't taught him so well, Kovu might have yowled in surprise and alerted Simba to his presence. As it was, Kovu calmly raised his hackles and bared his teeth in a soundless growl at the unwelcome guest. That poor excuse for a lion – if you could call him that – was standing between Kovu and the water hole, blocking Kovu's view of Simba. What was his name? Sora?

Sora gazed at Kovu with an emotion that Kovu couldn't immediately identify. It was so familiar... Kiara... She had looked at him that way...so long ago...as their parents took them away.... His chest began aching as he remembered that day from his childhood. Then, his mother's image burst clearly into his mind. It drove everything else out, focusing his thought back on his goal and the obstacle before him.

"You don't have to do it," Sora whispered sadly. The strength of the emotion was hypnotizing.

"Do what?" Kovu found himself answering.

"Kill Simba."

Compromised! "It is my destiny to become king," Kovu growled, unsheathing his claws. He needed to figure out a way to deal with Sora quickly without exposing himself to Simba. "Stay out of my way."

A knowing grin slowly spread over Sora's face. "Destiny has a funny way of working out, sometimes," he said mysteriously. His expression grew somber once more. "I'm not going to tell Simba," Sora confided with such an honest air that Kovu had no doubts about the truth of Sora's words, "but if you try to hurt Simba..." Sora's eyes grew intense, seeming to cut through Kovu's soul with their gaze. An unbridled power began emanating from him. "...I _will_ stop you."

Sora's gaze held him captive, erasing everything else in the world. Kovu didn't even notice a loud someone trying to approach them stealthily.

"Boo!"

Kovu whirled around in alarm and came face to face with Kiara.

"Good morning!" she crowed perkily.

Berating himself, Kovu turned back to the water hole, only to find Sora and, more importantly, Simba gone.

The echo of Sora's threat still rang in Kovu's ears. It was no idle threat, either. Sora might have been a bad lion, but he was a good whatever-he-was. Regardless, Sora was under the usurper's paw as surely as the rest of the pride. Even worse, _Simba_ was under _Sora's _paw, as well. Kovu would have to tread carefully around him in the future...him and his magic stick.

* * *

A grim satisfaction settled over Sora as he joined Kairi at their pre-planned meeting spot in the savannah. It had been just a hunch at first, but following Kovu had confirmed Sora's suspicions. There was hope, though. For a brief moment, he had sensed Kovu's light again.

"So, where to first?" Kairi asked amiably, eager for Sora's tour of the savannah.

Sora grinned sheepishly. "I'm not sure, actually," he reluctantly admitted. "Everything was all brown and dead last time. All this green and water is making me lost."

"Then pick a direction," Kairi told him firmly.

"What?" Sora exclaimed. "But, the savannah's huge! We could get lost." He thought about that for a moment. "We could get more lost," he amended.

"As long as we can see Pride Rock, we'll be fine," she patiently explained. Sora opened his mouth in rebuttal, then shut it quickly. As usual, Kairi was right. She giggled and started walking. "So, what's eating Simba?"

He couldn't resist such a shining opportunity. "Nothing. He's at the top of the food chain," he joked. Kairi rolled her eyes, giving him a that's-way-too-corny-to-laugh-at look. "Alright, alright, I'll stop," he conceded. "He's just worried about Kovu is all."

"Rightly so," Jiminy muttered worriedly. "Kovu's going to murder him."

"That's not going to happen," Sora asserted firmly amid Kairi's startled gasps. "Listen. There's good in him, I can feel it. We just need to help him find it."

"I don't know..." Kairi mumbled, looking away uncertainly.

"Please, Kairi," he pleaded earnestly. His sincere tone was enough to bring her eyes back to his. He gazed into those deep, blue eyes he loved so much. "He can be saved, I _know_ he can! But I can't do it without you." _I can't do anything without you..._

Her eyes grew hard with determination. "Let's do it," she said firmly. A playful gleam entered her eye. "Preferably before he kills Simba."

Sora laughed heartily, expelling all his worries. There wasn't anything they couldn't accomplish as long as they worked together. "Well, alright then," Sora cheered excitedly. "Let Operation Kovu's Light commence!"

Kairi giggled at his enthusiasm. "And just how do we do that?"

"Erm.." Sora stalled, "good question." He gave her one of his best I'm-still-cute grins.

"If only you weren't so darn cute," Kairi huffed in defeat. Score! She nuzzled him under the chin quickly, purring tenderly.

"If you ask me," Yuna interrupted, buzzing around their heads. She paused, waiting to see if Sora would snap at her again. When he didn't, she continued, "he just needs to find a good woman to whip him into shape."

"Yuna, you're a genius!" Sora exclaimed with a happy yowl. Yuna hummed happily at his compliment. "We'll just get Kovu together with Kiara."

"That shouldn't be too hard," Kairi remarked mischievously. "They're flirting enough as it is."

"Did you notice that Kiara is just Kairi with the vowels swapped?" Yuna mused randomly. "Man, I feel sorry for any sucker who has to write those names over and over again."

"No, I didn't notice that," Kairi said curiously. "That's kinda funny, actually. Kiara, Kairi, Kiara, Kairi, Kiari, Kaira, Kara..." The rest came out as a garbled mess. "Whew, that's hard to say fast, especially with all these teeth."

"Focus!" Sora yelled, finding it extremely ironic that he was the engineer keeping everyone on track. "Kovu, Kiara, together."

A thin finger attached to a thin arm snaked out of the tall grass and poked Sora square on the nose. "I like the way you think, my brother," Rafiki's voice floated out of the grass. "The question is..." The baboon shoved his face uncomfortably close to Sora's. "...how are you going to do it." As suddenly as he had appeared, Rafiki disappeared into the brush again.

Sora glanced around wildly, trying to follow Rafiki's rustling path through the grass. "I...was just...going...to wing it...," he trailed off, starting to wonder if Rafiki was even there still.

A soft humming rolled past Sora's ears and someone started playing with his tail. Looking over his shoulder, Sora found Rafiki lounging on his back. Sora's jaw dropped. How had he not noticed the shaman climb on top of him?

"No, no, that will never do," Rafiki rejected, dismissing the idea with a wave of his hand. "Lions don't have wings." He cackled madly and hopped to the ground.

"This guy is insane," Yuna trilled.

"Maybe," Rafiki simpered, "maybe not." He hobbled over to Yuna, grinning maniacally. "Maybe _you_" – he thrust his finger at her, as he'd done to Sora – "are all insane and I'm the only one who is not."

"What does this have to do with Kovu and Kiara?" Kairi asked.

"Nothing," the baboon laughed raucously.

Sora groaned angrily. "Are you going to help us with them or not?" he grumbled in irritation.

"Yes," Rafiki replied simply, leaping into a near-by copse of trees and disappearing from sight. "Until tonight," he called out of the branches. Then, he was gone.

The four of them looked at each other silently for a few moments, still digesting the shaman's eccentricities. "Is he always like that?" Kairi asked meekly.

"Pretty much," Sora sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

It seemed he wasn't the only one. "The best buffet in the Pride Lands and there's no seats open," a voice complained loudly.

"YAAAAAAAH!" hollered another voice. It sounded like a battle cry.

"Go on, ya dirty moochers, scram!"

"That's Timon and Pumbaa," Sora said excitedly. "Come on!"

He loped towards the sound of their voices coming from over a small rise. Reaching the crest, he caught a glimpse of the bird-covered backside of the hill. The next thing he knew, something big, furry, and snarling had rammed into him, sending both of them tumbling down the slope. A knot of small, grey birds squawked in protest and took flight to avoid being squashed.

"I said stay out of my way," Kovu growled dangerously from on top of Sora. "I was stalking them." He failed to specify who he was referring to.

"How was I supposed to know that?" Sora retorted. "You were stalking! You were _trying_ not to be noticed." Kovu snorted irritatedly and rolled off Sora.

"Finally!" Timon cried in exasperation. "Time for some grub." He strode past the arguing lions towards the recently-vacated ground. Rubbing his hands together hungrily, Timon approached a fat, juicy grub sticking its head out of the soil. "Come to papa."

At the last moment, one of the birds returned, snatching the grub from under Timon's outstretched hands. He watched with disbelief as more birds flocked back, leaving the place as occupied as before.

"NOOOO!" Timon screamed to the heavens, raising his fists over his head.

Kairi and Kiara crested the hill, giggling at all of them. "Hey Timon, hey Pumbaa," Kairi greeted, still chortling a bit. "What are you doing?"

"You're not following me, are you?" Kiara accused.

"We're _trying_ to get something to eat," he spat, shaking his fist at a bird near him. "Lousy ingrates!" A shadow passed overhead, followed by a white blob that landed on Timon's head. "Aw, come on!"

"I'll get it Timon," Pumbaa offered, trotting up. He took a deep breath and blew on Timon...hard. It got rid of the bird dropping, but left Timon fuzzier than Simba's mane on a humid day.

"Thanks," Timon deadpanned.

"No problem, buddy!" Pumbaa grinned, straightening proudly.

"Why are we wasting our time here?" Kovu scoffed, turning to Kiara. "We _should _be training."

"If you actually, I don't know, _helped_ us with these gluttons," Timon drawled nonchalantly, rolling each word around in his mouth, "then you wouldn't be wasting your time, now would you?"

Kovu responded with a mighty roar. Squealing like the wimp he was, Timon ran to Sora and cowered behind his paw. Pumbaa covered his eyes with his front hooves, his whole body quivering. A flock of birds also took to the air in fright and didn't look too keen on returning this time.

Timon slowly peered around Sora's leg. "Hey, now," he contemplated. "You might be on to something. Do it again."

"No," Kovu growled. "We're out of here."

"Lighten up," Kiara told him, giving him a friendly smile. "We could use a break." Winking at Timon, she filled the air with her regal tone.

"Yeehaw!" Timon whooped, mounting Pumbaa. "That's the ticket!" He pointed down the hill towards the retreating troops. "Charge!"

Laughing in delight, Sora gave chase to the troublesome birds, letting loose a sonorous call. Kairi was hot on his tail, adding her elegant sound to the chorus. The six of them sped across the savannah in pursuit of their quarry.

"Why are we doing this?" Kovu huffed, keeping up the fast pace effortlessly.

"Why?" Kiara replied as if the answer were the most obvious thing in the world. "Because it's fun, that's why!"

"Fun...?" Kovu repeated quietly.

"Woo boy," Sora whistled. "We've got a lot of work to do."

"Fun," Timon explained. "Yeehaw! Ya get it?"

"Yeehaw...?" Kovu tried halfheartedly...semiheartedly. Everyone's excited laughter filled the air, slowly producing a genuine smile on Kovu's face. "Yeehaw!" he yelled, joining in the laughter.

"Now you're getting it," Sora praised.

They rounded a corner, laughing with each other, laughing at each other, laughing in general, just having tons of fun. The fun was cut short, though, when they realized they were on a collision coarse with a herd of Living Bones. Everyone skidded to a halt millimeters from the massive Heartless and held their breaths, waiting for their reaction. The Heartless brayed angrily and pawed the ground, ready to charge.

There were way too many Living Bones to fight and still come out alive. Screaming at the top of their lungs, the six friends reversed direction, sprinting away from the oncoming Heartless stampede. They dashed around a narrow, curved gorge and Sora spotted a large crevice tucked into the wall.

"In here!" he yelled, squeezing inside. Everyone squished in after him not a moment too soon. The first Living Bone nearly took Pumbaa's tail off on its way past.

As the last Heartless galumphed away, they all burst out laughing again out of sheer exhilaration, Kovu and Kiara the loudest of all.

"That sure was cutting it close," Kovu remarked breathlessly.

"Oh," Pumbaa muttered, "sorry." That sent everyone into another bout of laughter.

Timon clambered over all of them to give Kovu an affectionate noogie. "You're okay kid," he pronounced, "you're okay."

A dumbstruck look appeared on Kovu's face, as if he'd never experience this kind of acceptance. He glanced over at Sora, who just gave him a warm smile in return. His light was shining through again and wouldn't be suppressed this time.

Wiggling awkwardly, Pumbaa tried to extract himself from the animal pretzel inside the crevice. Sora pushed himself out of Pumbaa's way, which only pushed Kairi into Pumbaa. Kovu and Kiara had ended up in the very back and weren't helping matters any with their struggling.

Finally, Sora, Kairi, and Pumbaa tumbled out all at once. Without the others holding them up, Kovu and Kiara slipped closer, enough for their muzzles to touch. For a second, their eyes closed and they enjoyed the moment. Then, they blushed and pulled away, hemming and hawing awkwardly.

Sora shared an excited look with Kairi. Things were already going smoothly, even without a plan. Maybe all they had to do was keep nudging them in the right direction. Kovu and the princess.... Yup, destiny sure had a funny way of working out....

* * *

"Look, look!" Kiara said excitedly, pointing up at the sky. "It's a little bear cub with those cute, little round ears."

Timon and Pumbaa had retired for the night when the sun went down, giving the excuse that the day's excitement had worn them out. Yeah right! They were probably afraid of the dark. Anyway, the remaining four were lying on their backs in the grass, taking turns pointing out different shapes in the stars.

Kovu pointed at some larger shapes just next to the cub. "And there's the mama coming to gore the guy that's trying to hurt her cub," he chortled.

"Wait a minute," Kairi muttered slowly. "What's _that_ one?" She pointed at a familiar constellation featuring a familiar trio. A questioning look on her face, she glanced at Sora and raised an eyebrow.

"Many worlds, one sky," he replied, reveling in his infuriating vagueness.

"It looks like a dog, a duck, and..." Kiara began.

"...a monkey?" Kovu finished. Kairi snorted violently, trying not to laugh.

"It looks to me like three guys the Olympian gods deemed worthy of being true heroes," Sora stated easily, shooting Kairi a boastful grin. She just stuck her tongue out at him. Kovu and Kiara, though, gawked at Sora as if he were crazy. "But, that's just me," Sora said hurriedly, chuckling nervously. "Overactive imagination, you know?"

Even Sora's weirdness couldn't keep Kovu's excitement bottled for long. "This is great!" he cried. "Wow, I wish I'd thought of this years ago."

Kiara glanced sideways at Kovu, his enthusiasm bringing a nostalgic look to her face. "This was one of my favorite things to do with my father when I was young." She frowned in contemplation. "He says the great kings of the past look down at us from the stars."

"Is Scar up there?" Kovu wondered aloud. He realized what he'd said a moment too late. Getting up, he turned his back to them, hiding his face. A pang of sympathy drove through Sora's heart. "Scar didn't have any kids of his own, but he took me in, made me his heir. I didn't know him, but..." He sounded so lost...

Kiara went to him and nuzzled his chin gently. "My father told me there was a darkness in Scar's heart that grew until it consumed him entirely," she whispered. Her ministering was so lovingly tender.... She truly loved him.

"Maybe it's in mine, too," Kovu murmured, his voice trembling uncertainly.

This was it. If Sora chose his words right, he could help Kovu leave the darkness behind forever. "Light and darkness go hand-in-hand," he said softly. "Even the brightest light will cast a shadow." Moving directly in front of Kovu, Sora locked eyes with him. He _had_ to understand. "It's our _choices_ that make a difference. You can choose not to let the darkness rule you."

A great battle was raging in Kovu's heart; the turmoil was plain in his eyes. Should he throw away everything he'd ever known on the word of someone he'd just met? Was the light worth forsaking his family?

Kiara gazed at him in anguish, her heart aching because of his agony. "Kovu," she murmured. In just that one word, Kiara poured all of her love and sorrow. Was _she_ worth it?

"Kiara," he whispered, still so uncertain. Deciding they needed a few moments alone, Sora turned away. He spotted Simba several yards away on the crest of a small hill, his eyes skyward.

"I'll be right back," he muttered to Kairi distractedly, walking toward Simba. She watched him go with interest, but didn't follow. Instead, she walked a few paces from Kiara and Kovu and settled down, close by if they needed her, but far enough away to give them space.

Sora sidled up to his friend's side, content to wait in companionable silence and admire the beautiful night.

"I was just asking the great kings for advice," Simba finally said.

"Were they any help?" Sora asked conversationally.

"No," Simba sighed dejectedly, shaking his great head.

"Maybe you're not asking the right stars," Sora suggested, completely serious. Simba glanced sideways at his young friend, raising an eyebrow in amusement. Grinning, Sora indicated his own constellation. "That guy up there isn't a king, but I hear he's always willing to lend an ear and a hand...or a paw depending on where he is."

Simba chuckled tiredly and returned his gaze to the stars. "I just wish I knew what my father would do..." he sighed.

Sora groaned. Now was _not_ the time for Simba to start backsliding. "Simba...," Sora warned.

"Don't worry, Sora," Simba assured him. "I've changed. I don't run from the past, but that doesn't mean I can't learn from it."

"You aren't talking about the past, though," Sora stressed. "Listen to me. I know you want to live up to your dad, but you can do that without following in his footsteps."

Simba smirked at him. "Lions make pawprints, not footsteps," he corrected jokingly.

"Whatever!" Sora moaned. "My point is you don't have to walk the path expected of you. You can go a different way and still arrive at the same place."

Simba looked at him seriously. "You aren't just talking about me anymore," he said. It wasn't a question.

"No," Sora replied simply.

"How do you know?" Simba asked quietly. The king's confusion mirrored the confusion Kovu had felt just minutes ago.

Sora looked down towards Kovu and Kiara. They stood side by side in silence, his head on hers. It was one thing to plan getting them together and another to actually see them together. It was obvious they were meant for each other, even if they didn't know it yet. "That's how," he whispered. "Just give him a chance."

Simba studied his daughter and his supposed enemy in turmoil, again mirroring Kovu with his struggles. "You win, Sora," he finally conceded. "I'll talk with him tomorrow." Hesitantly, he turned to Sora. There was a thought on the tip of his tongue, but he seemed almost embarrassed to say it. "I'd be honored if you would join us."

"Of course," Sora stammered in relief. He'd thought Simba was going to bring up something much more serious. "You know me, I never give up on people."

"And I'll always admire you for it," Simba admitted sincerely. "Thank you for never giving up on me. I only wish I could be that strong." He sighed heavily, reminding Sora that Simba had aged much more than himself since they last met. "Don't stay out too late," Simba muttered, turning to leave.

"Geez, you sound like my mom!" Sora shouted after him. Chuckling to himself, Sora started back towards Kairi.

"And just where are you going?" Rafiki's voice floated out of the grass.

"Nowhere," Sora said, not bothering to search for the source of his voice.

"Ha! That's what _you_ think," the baboon said. His lanky form popped up in front of Sora, making him jump. "You and your girl are coming with me. We've got romance to create." He beckoned Sora closer. "Here's the plan..."

Once Rafiki was done explaining, Sora ran to Kairi and hurriedly repeated the plan. Muttering excitedly, the two ran off to prepare for their part in the matchmaking.

Kovu's ears perked up at the sound of rustling. "Hey! Where'd Sora and Kairi go?" he wondered.

"Where indeed?" Rafiki cackled, tugging on Kovu's and Kiara's tails. "You follow old Rafiki. He knows the way." Snickering infuriatingly, he started walking off.

"The way to Sora and Kairi?" Kovu asked doubtfully.

"Maybe," the old shaman called from atop a small outcropping of rock close to the top of a near-by cliff. "Maybe not. You'll never know unless you follow!" With that, he grabbed a vine attached to the top of the cliff and used it to swing around the rock face.

"Kovu, come on!" Kiara cried with barely contained laughter. She sprinted off, not really giving Kovu much choice in the matter.

They rounded a bend and found themselves at the edge of a beautiful oasis. "Where's he taking us?" Kovu wondered, skidding to a halt.

The shaman's voice seemed to float out of nowhere. "A place in your heart called..." His head suddenly appeared above them. "..._Upendi_." He grabbed their heads, turned them in, and gently shoved them together so that their noses touched. At first, the couple's faces showed surprise, but shortly they relaxed and smiled gently.

A large, heart-shaped leaf waited in a small lagoon for them. Ushering the couple on it – it was surprisingly buoyant, surprisingly being synonymous with magically in this case – Rafiki hopped on top, using a long rod to steer the boat like a gondola. The crazy, old baboon directed them towards a waterfall.

Kairi, out of sight at the top of the waterfall, cast Blizzaga at the center of the river, just before the water plunged over the edge. A small, frozen island blossomed there, splitting the river in two. From the boat, it looked as though the waterfall was merely a curtain parting for them, revealing a cave.

As soon as the boat passed through the entryway, the two lions knew to expect the unexpected, even if it defied nature. The cave had a strange, wild magic of its own that permeated the air. Anything was possible here.

With an excited laugh, Rafiki hopped over to a group of his kin on the bank. The baboons had an assortment of gourds, reeds, and turtle shells. One handed Rafiki his rattling staff. At Rafiki's cue, the baboons began hitting and/or blowing their respective items with Rafiki rattling his staff in a rhythmic way. It soon became clear that the items were instruments, the baboons were musicians, and the sound they were producing was music.

A gentle current began flowing, guiding their boat along the water. From farther down the bank, a strange sight greeted them. Sora was dancing upright on his hind legs, wearing a skirt made of grass around his hips, a necklace made of flowers around his neck, and a crown made of leaves around his head. He held his Keyblade across his chest and strummed the hilt as if something was strung across it. A high-pitched twang came from it. Sora's attire and "instrument" didn't seem like they should fit with the African theme, but ended up blending nicely with it.

With a huge grin on his face, Sora began to sing. "_There's a place where the crazy moon..._" A comically large crescent moon appeared in the sky. "_...makes the monkeys sing..._" A chorus of monkeys began harmonizing with him. "_...and the baboon swoon_..." Two baboons on a vine overhead sighed and tipped over, hanging from their tails. "_...and the sultry scent of the lotus bloom..._" A baboon plucked a blossom from a near-by bush, dropping it in Kiara's paws as the boat passed underneath. "..._will carry you away_." Kovu sniffed the flower uncertainly and let out an explosive sneeze.

Kairi appeared on the opposite bank, decorated similarly to Sora. The only difference was a large lily tucked behind her ear instead of a crown of leaves. A bright smile stretched across her muzzle.

She sang, "_While the hippos swing from the jungle vines..._" Four hippos arched across the water on unbreakable vines. "_...and the rhino rumba in a congo line._" Several rhinos danced down the shore, moving their hips with a flexibility that didn't seem possible from such large animals. "_All the pink flamingoes are intertwined..._" The brightly-colored birds paired up and not-so-subtly made heart shapes with their heads and necks. "_...as the stars come out to play_." The rhino line collided with the flamingoes, producing stars, like in cartoons. Rafiki scooped them up and tossed them into the sky.

"Uhh!"

"_In Upendi..._," the chorus sang, lining up along the banks, "_where the passion fruit grows sweet..._" Rafiki grabbed two of the succulent morsels and hopped onto the leaf boat. "_..and it's so divine..._" He offered one to Kiara, who gulped it down happily. "_...that you lose your mind.._." He offered the second to Kovu, who politely declined. "_...as it sweeps you off your feet_."

"_In Upendi_..." Sora spied a bush ahead with pink colored leaves that looked suspiciously like hearts. Excellent! "..._without a worry or a care_." He sped ahead and selected a large leaf with a hole in its center. "_It just takes two to make it true._" As Kovu and Kiara's boat passed, Sora jumped over them, sliding the leaf over Kovu's head in the process. "_You heart will lead you there_." Kiara laughed at Kovu's frilly collar before he shrugged it off in disgust.

"Where is it?" Kiara asked excitedly.

_In Upendi..._

Rafiki covered her eyes, cleaned out her ears, and responded, "No place you don't take with you."

_In Upendi..._

As the boat approached another waterfall, Rafiki suddenly yanked the leaf out from under them as if it were a tablecloth. "_Better watch your step 'cause the path is steep_." The lovebirds tumbled through the air and landed in a huge, bowl-shaped plant filled with water. "_Better hold your breath 'cause the water's deep_." Rafiki stopped his own fall with a vine hanging over the lip. As soon as he pulled it, a hatch opened at the bottom of the plant and it was drained of water and lions.

Sora and Kairi wafted through the air, each supported by a leaf much like the leaf boat. "It's a long way down over Lover's Leap..." Kairi shouted.

They jumped off the leaves. "...but falling's half the fun!" Sora yelled. Kovu and Kiara landed back in their boat, laughing their heads off, moments before Sora and Kairi splashed down beside them.

"_In Upendi_..." Rafiki once again appeared on the leaf. "..._where the passion fruit grows sweet_..." This time many fruits tumbled down from the trees directly into Kovu's mouth. "..._and it's so divine_..." Kovu tried to swallow, but started choking. "..._that you'll lose your mind_..." Kiara gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "..._as it sweeps you off you feet_." He had no trouble swallowing after that.

"_In Upendi_..." Rafiki demonstrated his dexterity by balancing stacks of fruit on his fingers and nose. "..._without a worry or a care_." He tossed some to Sora, who tried his best to juggle them with paws instead of hands. "_It just takes two_..." He lost his rhythm. "..._to make it true_." The fruits flew away, landing on a field covered in butterflies. They all took flight in a massive spray of color. "_Your heart will take you there_."

Kairi headed a line of animals dancing with small, leafy branches as if they were a pair of maracas. _"You can beat the bush like there's no tomorrow_." They all put down the branches and looked around. "_From Tanganyika_..."

The ground sped forward, faster than the river, following the line until it ended with Sora. "..._to Kilimanjaro_." A mountain sprouted up underneath him. "_But you'll find Upendi wherever you are._"

"_Oh, underneath the sun_," Rafiki sang, pulling a beautiful sunset down over the sky.

"Upendi. It means love, doesn't it?" Kiara guessed.

"Now you're getting it!" Sora laughed in exhilaration.

Kairi spread her front legs wide. "Welcome to Upendi!" she cried with delight.

Hearts began emanating from the sun in place of rays and a waterspout gushed under the boat, hoisting it into the air.

"_In Upendi_..." Another conga line formed, made of animal pairs. "..._where the passion fruit grows sweet_." The conga line neared a passion fruit tree where Rafiki waited in its branches. "_Oh, it's so divine_..." Rafiki tossed two fruits to the first couple. "..._that you'll lose your mind_..." The couple gobbled them down, tossed themselves into the water, and floated away on their backs. "..._as it sweeps you off your feet_." Sora and Kairi hitched onto the back end of the conga.

"In Upendi..." Kovu and Kiara dove off the boat and joined the line as well. "..._without a worry or a care_." Sora and Kairi caught their fruits and jumped in. "_It just takes two_..." Now Kovu and Kiara had their turn at gulping down fruits. "..._to make it true_." They flung themselves into the water. "_Your he-e-_" They were carried uphill for a ways, then fell over another waterfall. "_E-E-_" The water took them up another, larger hill with an equally larger waterfall. "_**E-EART**_..." They climbed the largest hill yet, but the end of this one launched them into open space. "..._will take you there_." A final leaf opened above them like a parachute, letting them glide gently through the air.

_Down in Upendi, way down in Upendi..._

Kiara sighed happily and cuddled close to Kovu. With a sweet, loving tenderness, Kovu held her to him, brushing her cheek with his.

_Down in Upendi, way down in Upendi..._

"We did it," Kairi murmured breathlessly, licking Sora on the cheek. She wrapped her front legs around him as if they were still arms.

_Down in Upendi, way down in Upendi..._

"We did," he whispered, his heart bursting with joy. Today, the darkness lost one of its servants for good. He gently gathered Kairi to him and laid his head on hers.

_Down in Upendi, way down in Upendi..._

* * *

"Did you see the look on their faces when you dressed in drag and did the hula?" Kairi chortled as they neared the den. "Priceless!"

"And when Kovu was choking?" Sora sniggered. "So much for CPR."

They were still suppressing giggles when they passed Simba on their way in for the night. He raised an eyebrow. "What have you been up to?"

"Just hanging out with Rafiki," Sora grinned.

"I'm not going to ask," Simba said, letting them inside. Finding a comfortable spot, they settled down together.

A short time later, Kiara came in alone. Sora wasn't the only one to notice, either. With a quizzical expression, Simba went outside. His curiosity getting the better of him, Sora got up and hid in the mouth of the cave.

Simba approached Kovu, who eyed Simba nervously. "It's getting chilly," the older lion remarked. "Why don't you come in?" With disbelief written all over his face, Kovu let the king lead him into his home.

As Kovu passed, he noticed Sora in the shadows. Their eyes met. Kovu had been alone with Simba for a few minutes, plenty of time to kill him. But...he hadn't, just like Sora knew he wouldn't. Sora nodded his approval, smiling warmly.

With the day's success still causing his heart to leap for joy, he returned to Kairi's side. Finally, after all the excitement, he could have a good night's rest. His comfort was short-lived, though.

Just before he fell asleep, Sora felt the forces of darkness mobilizing far off. Curling around Kairi protectively, he closed his eyes, resigning himself to a sleepless night.

* * *

**A/N: **Whew! Sorry about the prolonged absense there. I've had the mother of all writer's blocks and I attempted to overcome it by avoiding ff(dot)net like the plague so as to avoid distractions. ...It didn't work so well, lol. I just used other things to distract me, like books about dragons. The good news is I will soon have more time to write than I will know what to do with.

I would like to take the opportunity to say that Rafiki is officially amazing. He is one of the most fun characters I've worked with so far, probably because everything he says is nonsense while still being a profound metaphor about life. Hehe, I'm all about profound nonsense. :D

You know, considering I didn't care much for Atlantica (although Ursula's Revenge was amazing!), I'm using a lot of songs. It's ironic, there's only one light world so far that I haven't used a song for. Sorry if they don't thrill you, but anything I could come up with on my own would probably be worse. It's like a presidential election, choosing the lesser of two evils.

Hope you all ate plenty of food over Thanksgiving!

**New Characters:**

Kovu: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)  
Kiara: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)  
Zazu: The Lion King (1994)  
Simba: The Lion King (1994)  
Nala: The Lion King (1994)  
Timon: The Lion King (1994)  
Pumbaa: The Lion King (1994)  
Rafiki: The Lion King (1994)


	22. We Are One

Chapter 22: We Are One

Kovu paced anxiously at the edge of Pride Rock. He glanced up at the stars, fading in the morning twilight, then looked away in shame. The scrutiny of the past kings, dead or not, was too much.

He wasn't going to kill Simba, that much he was certain of. And he loved Kiara, he knew that too. The rest, though, was a jumbled mess in his heart. How would he ever sort it out?

"You're up early," Sora commented. Kovu nearly jumped out of his fur, all his training thrown to the wind with his heart so messed up. With immense effort, Kovu calmed himself and stopped pacing, allowing Sora to sidle up beside him.

"Couldn't sleep," Kovu sighed.

"Me neither," Sora replied. Kovu's curiosity demanded to know what could possibly be troubling Sora, but he ignored it. He was in no position to ask something like that.

He gazed at Sora, whose own gaze was fixed on the horizon. This was Sora's plan all along, wasn't it? Somehow, Sora had seen past all the hate Zira had taught him and found the good buried deep in his heart. Kovu's gratitude was too great for words. He owed Sora so much....

"Thank you," Kovu murmured.

Sora turned to him with a warm smile on his face. "That's what friends are for," Sora responded, a playful twinkle in his eye, "making sure you don't do something stupid."

Friends.... They were friends.... Kovu understood now. Sora was a bad lion, but a good friend.

Sora's eyes returned to the sky. "This is my favorite time of day," he professed, "when everything's still covered in the dark of night. Then, little by little, the sun chases it away until everything is warmed by the sun's light." A profound calm settled on Sora's face and he closed his eyes. "It brings this amazing sense of hope that warms my heart." He sighed quietly and muttered, almost too softly to hear, "I really need some hope right now."

The emotion he'd felt when Sora had first confronted him welled up inside him again. This time, he understood what it was. Sadness. Immense sadness. Sora...had been sad for him. Sad that he was trapped by the darkness. Now it was Kovu's turn to be sad for Sora. He needed hope? Well, Kovu would give it to him...somehow....

"What do I do now?" Kovu asked.

"Follow your heart," he replied softly.

His heart? How could he follow his heart when _it_ was lost, too? But no...it wasn't completely lost.

The first warm rays of morning splashed over Kovu's face as a sliver of orange peeked over the horizon. Like the dark of night, Kovu's confusion was lifted by the sun's light. Suddenly, he knew what to do. He had to tell Kiara. Everything else would become clear afterward, he knew it.

The other lions began waking and emerging from the den now that the sun was up. With strong resolve, Kovu walked towards it, looking for Kiara. When he found her, a sleepy smile worked its way onto her face.

"Good morning," she purred, nuzzling him with her nose.

With a sigh, Kovu pulled away. He was conscious of Sora watching him, which only made this harder. "Listen," he said, "there's something I need to tell you. Let's go for a walk."

"No," Simba's voice boomed from within the cave. The king calmly approached them, dignity in his every move. "You're not going anywhere with him." Sora turned, a frown on his face. "He's coming with me." Simba winked quickly at Kiara, who grinned broadly. The frown also vanished from Sora's face. Simba beckoned to Sora with a twitch of his head and the three of them began walking down the rocky slope.

* * *

"...years of anger, hatred, and jealousy filled Scar's heart," Simba solemnly explained to Kovu. Their walk had taken them to the ashen remains of the portion of the Outlands that had been ravaged by the fire. "They consumed him until the darkness overtook his heart and turned him into a Heartless, leading to his ultimate destruction."

"I...never knew..." Kovu breathed shamefully, turning his face from them. "I'm the heir to a throne of darkness," he spat bitterly.

Sora gazed at Kovu, sorrow filling his heart at his friend's despair. The wind stirred up the fine ash, inspiring Sora. He kicked some at Kovu, chortling at his startled expression.

"Darkness is a lot like fire," Sora remarked, gesturing at the landscape. "If you're not careful, it will burn out of control and consume everything in its path until there's nothing left. But, out of the ashes..." Sora bent his head to the ground, gently blowing away a layer of ash and uncovering a small sapling. "...a new generation rises, free to grow however they choose."

Sinister laughter echoed around them as sleek shadows moved through the clouded air, surrounding them. A lioness with a cruel, Scar-like gleam in her eye broke through the haze.

"Zira!" "Mother!"

"Kovu chooses to be king," her alto voice proclaimed maliciously. "That's why he led you here to your doom."

Betrayal contorted Simba's features. "You!" he growled, glaring at Kovu with a wild anger.

"No!" Kovu cried. "I'm not a part of this. Please, you have to believe me." His earnest pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Simba, he's telling the truth," Sora said firmly. Simba's reply was lost as several lionesses leapt for his throat.

Sora summoned his Keyblade, rushing to Simba's aid. At the finish of his combo, Sora gave a mighty roar, blasting the lionesses away from Simba.

"Stop, please!" Kovu pleaded desperately, torn between his family and friends. He meekly attempted to hold an Outsider back, but was kicked aside, his head striking a small rock. With a slight groan, Kovu went limp, which was probably for the best. There was no room for uncertainty at this point.

Sora's fur stood on end as dark flames flared around them. Bolstered by the reinforcements, the Outsiders pounced on Simba as one, overwhelming him. Before Sora could help this time, one of the recently spawned Halfhearted rammed his back legs, oozing over them and rooting Sora to the spot.

A scraggly, male lion joined the throng of lionesses on top of Simba, sending the lot of them over a cliff edge into a shallow gorge. Fear shot through Sora's heart. Simba couldn't fight them all by himself!

"Blizzaga!" he growled to the Halfhearted that dared to immobilize him. A good kick from his hind legs was enough to shatter it. Almost immediately, another charged him and he barely managed to get out of the way. It flew past him, crashing into a third, which only resulted in a single, writhing mass. It squelched around until the two separated and attacked again. Sora quickly froze them both.

These Halfhearted were a type Sora hadn't seen before. They had indefinite forms like the other low-level Halfhearted and stood upright like monkeys or baboons. The limbs ended in lions' paws, though. One such paw swiped at Sora, grazing his shoulder with razor sharp claws and knocking him into the two frozen Halfhearted. They shattered, but not before the shards chiseled away at Sora's health.

Horns reminiscent of gazelle jutted out of their heads. With this conglomeration of animal parts, they were like some sort of twisted chimeras. Dark Chimeras. When they charged him, they dropped onto all fours and lowered their heads. Some kept their heads up and horns perpendicular while others had their horns parallel, the sharp ends pointed directly at Sora. He didn't care to figure out the difference in the attacks.

It took all of his finesse to dodge the continuous charges, leaving no time for any sort of offensive maneuver. He still accumulated many scratches from their claws, though. All the while, he prayed that Simba was still fighting. This game of tag was going nowhere. If Sora didn't end this soon, Zira and her pride would end Simba.

"No," Sora snarled, the spoken word giving him strength. He planted his feet firmly and shouted, "Blizzaga!" It caught a Chimera mid-sprint, but gave the remaining two an opening. The first charged him head-up, catching his front legs and oozing them up. The second had its head down and shoved those wicked horns into Sora's side.

Sora yowled in agony, his back legs collapsing. The only thing keeping his front legs from buckling was the Halfhearted. He desperately cast Curaga, then groaned in despair. The pain had made Sora forget about the Halfhearted's ability to redirect spells. To add insult to injury, the final Chimera decided to ooze over his hind legs.

"Sora!" Jiminy cried in concern, emerging from his safe haven in Sora's mane to place comforting hands on his ear. The cricket usually hid during fights, willing to accept that he'd only be a liability otherwise.

A gentle breeze blew over the gorge, the strange potpourri dancing along the currents. It carried Simba's roars of pain to Sora's ears, as well as the metallic scent of blood. Before dancing on, it also swirled over Kovu's prone form.

Kovu was out cold. Simba was in trouble. Jiminy was putting himself in harm's way for Sora's sake. He had to do something!

Sucking as much air into his lungs as possible, Sora split the air with a roar that echoed off every surface it hit. The Dark Chimeras shuddered once before they began vibrating in phase with Sora's roar. After a few moments, the vibrations became too violent and the Halfhearted exploded, the bodies dissipating and the hearts drifting off to Kingdom Hearts.

With nothing supporting him anymore, Sora collapsed completely, his breaths bursting raggedly from his lungs. Mentally, he chuckled when he realized he'd used sound to defeat the Halfhearted. He'd never hear the end of it from Yukari.

"Sora," Jiminy said urgently, "Simba needs help!"

His mana replenished, Sora cast Curaga, pushed himself to his feet, and leapt into the gorge. He forsook his Keyblade in favor of his powerful paws, choosing instead to bat away his enemies. At this point, he only wanted all of them to get out of there alive.

"Sora!" Kovu's voice called out. Sora glanced around in surprise and found Kovu awake, watching the scene from a small outcropping a few yards from the top of the gorge, an easy jump for a lion. Even better, there was a pile of driftwood leading right up to it.

Sora charged into the knot of fighting lions, a Firaga spell raging around him. Most scattered from the blaze and those who didn't were dazed by its brightness. A powerful swipe from Simba's paw cleared the rest away.

"This way!" Sora yelled, uttering a Curaga to ease some of their weariness. He led Simba to the driftwood ramp, casting a hasty Reflega behind him to foil their pursuers. Simba clambered up first, his footing clumsy due to his fatigue.

Pain shot through Sora's side with every step he took. Even Curaga had its limits. Adrenaline proved to be a good medicine, though. It was enough to get Simba out of the gorge. Luckily Kovu had moved out of Simba's sight. It would not have been pretty if they'd run into each other.

"Nuka! No!" Kovu shouted. A second later, sharp claws dug themselves into the inside of Sora's left heel, dragging him down. He could just hear Phil's voice barking: _Rule #94: Always protect your heel, unless you want to end up like Achilles_.

Glancing backward, Sora saw the scraggly male, a triumphant sneer on his face. Sora strained to keep climbing, but the lion had gravity on his side.

"First you," the lion snarled, "then Simba. Then _I_ will be mother's favorite."

A particularly violent yank caused Sora to lose his footing. He scrambled madly to regain a hold, causing the logs to shift. At first, it was just a small shift, enough for Sora to break free and hobble towards the top. The slight movement caused a higher log to shift a bit more, and so on, until the effect had been amplified out of control into an avalanche of wooden death. Logs both small and massive cascaded into the gorge, washing Nuka under the surface.

Sora watched these events unfold in horror, his stomach taking an unpleasant swoop when he realized the terrible truth. _He_ had caused this. If that poor lion died, it would be his fault. This wasn't some creature of the dark, this was a living being.

His heart pounding so hard it nearly burst from his chest, Sora carefully descended the unstable wooden death trap, trying to get to Nuka. Kovu was not so reserved. He leapt down the ramp recklessly, shoving branches and logs aside frantically.

"Get out of here while you still can, Sora," Kovu cautioned.

"But," Sora stammered, "I–"

"He's _my _brother," Kovu snapped. "Now go!"

A fresh wave of guilt washed over Sora. He'd probably killed Kovu's brother! The Outsider's leader was Kovu's mother...that meant she was Nuka's mother, too. He couldn't leave Kovu to take the blame for this and the horrible retribution sure to follow.

"What about you?" Sora asked softly.

"I'll be fine," Kovu replied, trying for bravado. "Go," he ordered. "I've already caused you enough pain."

Regretting his decision, Sora left Kovu to the mercy of his pride. So close! Just when things were looking up, Sora's hopes were dashed on the gorge floor. Plus, another brush with death's icy fingers left his confidence as bruised and battered as his body. He couldn't shake the dreadful feeling that the happy endings wouldn't last forever.

With a heavy heart, Sora found Simba and, together, they wearily began the long journey back to Pride Rock in silence.

* * *

"I don't believe you," Kiara stubbornly informed her father.

Their return to Pride Rock had caused quite a commotion, not just among the pride, but among all the animals of the savannah. They'd gathered under the podium-like precipice, waiting for Simba to address them.

"Nevertheless, it's true," Simba asserted just as stubbornly. It was amazing how he could still seem to tower over his daughter, even though he was lying down.

"I don't buy it," Kairi inserted, standing over Sora almost protectively as he also rested. Like all the creatures that plagued them, the Halfhearted left no physical wounds. It still _felt_ like he'd been gored, though, and the pain stubbornly persisted, even after several rounds of Curaga. A lot of stubbornness seemed to be going around. "Why wouldn't Kovu kill you himself? He had plenty of chances."

"Because he knew he wasn't strong enough," reasoned Simba.

"Forgive me, Simba, but you're not as young as you used to be," Sora pointed out. "And Kovu's no pushover."

"Then why didn't he stop it?" Simba asked loudly.

"He tried," Sora retorted hotly, rising to his feet. "He told them to stop, but they wouldn't listen. There was nothing he could have done short of killing them."

"Then he should have!" Simba roared, also surging to his feet.

"This is his family we're talking about!"

A ripple ran through the crowd below, the animals shrinking back from a lone figure slowly approaching Pride Rock. Kovu.

"If he really was a part of this," Kiara retorted, "he wouldn't come back to answer for what happened."

"Enough!" Simba snarled. "I am the king and I will deal with this matter as I see fit." Without giving anyone else a chance to respond, he turned to address Kovu. "Why have you returned?" he boomed, creating the illusion of strength despite his weakened state.

"Simba," Kovu pleaded humbly, his head hanging. "_Please_, I had nothing–"

"You are not one of us," Simba pronounced with all the authority of his position.

"Please," whispered Kovu, lifted his head. His mane fell back, revealing a fresh scar across his eye that Simba didn't fail to notice. "I ask your forgiveness."

With an imperious stare, Simba looked down at the young lion as if he were something nasty he'd stepped in. "I always settle my debts, Outsider," he said, an air of foreboding settling over them. "You wished to be judged? Very well, I pass judgement now."

A ringing silence followed, broken only by Kiara's sorrowful cry of, "No!" The air was deathly still as everyone waited for Simba's decision with bated breath.

"EXILE!"

The animals bayed, stomped, squawked, and roared in approval of Simba's declaration. They began working their feet back and forth in a rhythmic way, beginning an ominous chant as if this were a ceremony of some sort. Slowly, they began driving Kovu away.

"Father, please," Kiara beseeched. "Don't do this."

Still wearing that imperious expression, Simba proclaimed, "You are not to leave Pride Rock without an escort from now on."

The three young lions all began clamoring at once at this outrageous command. "Silence!" Simba roared, piercing them all with a wild glare. "He used you, all of you, to get to me. I should've known better than to trust a bunch of naive children."

"Excuse me?" growled Sora, outrage gripping him. "Is that really what you think of me? After all I've done?"

Simba stepped closer, shoving his face in Sora's, a gleaming tooth winking dangerously at Sora's eye. "No matter what you've done," he hissed softly, "you're still an immature boy who has yet to become a man."

Sora roared in Simba's ear with all his might, cramming all his frustrations into it. Frustration at Simba for letting his prejudice blind him. Frustration at Kiara and Kovu's plight. Frustration at himself for his struggles with doubt and darkness. Frustration at the monumental task before him he wasn't sure he could handle.

"I don't care what you say," Kiara interrupted, determined to get her say in, tears making her words thick. "He didn't have anything to do with this." She stared her father down angrily. "He loves me and I love him."

Startled rage flashed over Simba's face before he concealed it behind his kingly arrogance. "He's following in Scar's pawprints," he snarled, turning his back on further arguments. He faced the horizon in a posture that would have been extremely regal and dignified had it not been tarnished by his ignorance. "And I must follow in my father's."

Kiara's will seemed to fold in on itself, her heart breaking. "You will _never_ be Mufasa," she sobbed, fleeing to the quiet of the den.

Sora's anger was still burning hotly, though. "You haven't changed a bit," he accused bitingly.

"I _have_ changed," countered Simba. "I don't run from my problems anymore."

"No, you don't," Sora admitted scathingly. "You make _them_ run from _you_." Sora could feel his blood thundering loudly in his brain. He was past caring about respect, restraint, or friendship. "But, guess what, Simba?" A feral desire to lash out at Simba gripped Sora's heart. "You're still not _dealing_ with them." The desire became harder to resist with each pump from his heart echoing in his skull.

Simba's whole body tensed in anger. "I am king," he reminded everyone. "If you disagree with my rule, then you can join him." He nodded at Kovu, still struggling down the long, rocky path away from Pride Rock and the animals tormenting him.

A desire to do something rash now took ahold of Sora. "Fine!" he spat. If he took the path down, he would never catch Kovu in time. Without a thought for his own safety, he sprinted towards Simba and the end of the precipice. Aware that everyone's eyes were fixed on him, he kicked in an extra boost of speed, placed his paws firmly on the rock edge, and jumped.

He saw himself in his mind's eye perfectly, arcing gracefully over the heads of the awed animals. The sun's rays would hit his pelt at just the right angle to make it seem like he was glowing with a golden light. Time would stand still to bask in his glory and it would seem like he was gliding through the air on a pair of majestic wings. Everyone would imagine him to be some sort of angel of light, a champion of truth. They would see his sacrifice for Kovu and realize the error of their ways, even Simba. Everything would be forgiven and they could live together in peace as it should be.

That's how he pictured it, the sap that he was. Gravity had other ideas. The drop to the ground was much farther than Sora had anticipated. He rolled forward too far and crashed into the dry ground, nearly snapping his neck. The force was great enough to bounce him several more times before he slid to a stop.

The fall knocked all the dark thoughts out of Sora's head, as well as most everything else...except for the pain. He lay there for he didn't know how long, absorbing his humiliation and failure. All of the muscles in his body screamed at his brain in protest. The injury in his side was burning as if it were fresh. To top it off, his head pounded fiercely, leaving room for nothing but a few confused flashes of memory.

"How're you doing, Jiminy?" Sora moaned.

"I'm too old for this," the cricket complained, sounding like he was still a bit shaken up. "I swear, sometimes I think I should become your professional common sense." This got some weak chuckles from Sora.

Vibrations shook the ground, jarring Sora's sore body, each one growing stronger. "Sora!" Kovu yelled in concern. Sora opened his eyes to see Kovu hovering over him. Relief passed across Kovu's face when Sora's eyelids fluttered open. "Are you crazy?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes," Sora chuckled, wincing at the pain that lanced up his side, "but I'll admit that stunt was crazier than normal." A Curaga loosened Sora's muscles enough for Kovu to help him up.

"What were you thinking?" asked Kovu, worry underlying his tone.

"Well, I was going for dramatic," Sora sighed, gingerly distributing his weight as comfortably as he could.

Kovu snorted, "It was dramatic, alright."

"I just imagined it hurting less," Sora joked.

Kovu laughed softly, a tired smirk on his face. "You didn't have to do that for me," he murmured sincerely.

"'Course I did!" Sora said brightly, which didn't make Kovu feel any better. Sora huffed exaggeratedly, "I didn't do it just for you. I did it for Simba and Kiara, too." His trademark grin appearing on his face, he started pestering Kovu good-naturedly. "You want me to help Kiara, don't you? Huh? _Huh?_"

Kovu gave Sora a friendly shove. Sora hissed at the flare of pain, but quickly covered it with a laugh. "You win," Kovu sighed, a longing look on his face. It was so reminiscent of Sora's own feelings that he laughed heartily, a laugh so enjoyable he didn't even notice the pain.

"Look at us," Sora chortled. "Just a couple of love struck fools."

Instead of lightening Kovu's spirit further, the statement only served to sober him up. He looked back towards Pride Rock, his eyes hard with determination. "Love will find a way," he whispered, clinging desperately to that last hope. "Come on." Turning away from the shale formation, Kovu began walking off.

Sora didn't argue. He didn't have any fight left in him at the moment and it wasn't like he had a better idea. Plus, he wanted to be alone with his thoughts for a while. One of the fragmented memories had solidified in Sora's mind, though he couldn't remember the events surrounding it, leaving him very disturbed. It was a memory of another time when he'd been too injured to move...and Riku was the one who'd injured him....

* * *

"You idiot," Kairi hissed to herself as Sora launched himself off the edge of Pride Rock. Make no mistake, she was proud of him for sticking up for his friend. It was her favorite part of his personality, his devotion to his friends. She just wished he wouldn't pull such stupid stunts.

That didn't mean she wasn't angry that Sora had been driven to such lengths. "I hope you're happy," Kairi snapped at Simba.

"Sora made his choice," Simba said evenly.

She promptly ignored him. "He really looks up to you, you know that?" she tried, angry tears welling in her eyes. "You should have heard him when we first got here. He wouldn't shut up about you. Simba's so cool. Simba's so strong. Simba's so brave. It was kind of annoying." She choked out some quick chuckles. "He says you're one of the bravest people he knows. He's got plenty of friends that fight the darkness, but you're one of the few brave enough to fight _your_ darkness." Her anger deflated, letting sorrow flood in. "Don't you know what that means to him? Please, don't let him down."

After a long pause, Simba hung his head slightly. "What's done is done," he said. "The only thing we can do now is keep moving forward."

By this time, Kairi's emotions had burned out. With nothing else to say, she went to check on Kiara. Instead of crying her heart out, Kiara was at the back wall of the den, quietly shifting some rocks aside. A thin beam of light peeked through.

"What are you doing?" Kairi wondered.

"Nothing!" Kiara yelped, flinching her head into a jagged edge. "Ow!"

Kairi had to stifle a bout of giggling. "Mind if I do nothing with you? I need to find Sora and your dad's got this place on lockdown."

Kiara frowned at Kairi in confusion. "What do you mean? Where did he go?"

"Sora jumped off Pride Rock," she answered conversationally, enjoying Kiara's dumbfounded expression. "You know, one of his normal stupid stunts. He's probably with Kovu by now."

Kiara shifted her attention back to her escape in the works, a humbled expression on her face. "You two shouldn't be doing this much for us."

"Nonsense!" Kairi scoffed. "This is what we do."

"Defying kings?" Kiara asked playfully.

"Hey!" Kairi whined. "You make it seem like_ we're_ the bad guys." She pouted her lip exaggeratedly, earning a chuckle from Kiara.

"Why are we standing around talking?" Kiara protested. "Let's get going!" The two of them began working vigorously. After a few minutes, the rocks finally ended, allowing them to wriggle out.

The makeshift tunnel had deposited them on the back side of Pride Rock. With everyone still congregated by the podium, the two of them easily slipped away, the light slipping into dusk.

They looked at each other in silence, both wondering the same thing. How could they ever find Kovu and Sora?

Kiara looked out across the savannah, her eyes hard with determination. "Love will find a way," she whispered. A small smile tugged at the corners of Kairi's mouth, chagrined that she'd momentarily lost her faith. Of course, it would.

* * *

Each footfall (pawfall?) sent a small plume of fine ash into the air, making it seem like cottony flowers were blossoming wherever they stepped. The moon was full and bright, illuminating everything with an unearthly whiteness. At one moment, the ashen landscape would seem covered in the pureness of snow. At others, it would look like the dunes of the desert at night. Both illusions, as well as the reality, were breathtaking.

"It still amazes me that destruction can be so beautiful," Kovu confided in a small voice full of awe. The thought also seemed to horrify him, as if admitting this admitted that he enjoyed destruction.

Sora shook his head. "This isn't destruction. This is a new beginning. That's part of its beauty."

Kovu studied Sora intensely for a moment. "How can you always pull good from bad?"

A short bout of laughter burst from Sora. "I have to or I'll go mad with despair." He sighed heavily. "It can get really hard at times."

"Okay," Kovu accepted. "Pull some good out of the ambush for me." He watched Sora expectantly, as if he was on the brink of insanity himself.

Sora looked away out of guilt and shame. "I'll have to get back to you on that," he murmured, disappointed in himself. Try as he might, Sora just couldn't see what good could possibly come out of this. His mind was too clouded with regret and revulsion. Plus, to find the good, he first had to find the bad, which meant admitting Simba was in the wrong just as much as Zira.

"Why does Simba have to be such a hypocrite?" Sora exploded out of frustration. He really didn't want to burden Kovu with his troubles, but the lid had blown off his pot of anger and Kovu was caught in the steam. "Where does he get off telling you to let go of your hate when he won't let go of his?"

"Just like mother won't let go of hers," Kovu sighed. Sora realized that Kovu must be feeling the same frustration he was. "Does that make them as bad as Scar?" he asked painfully, already looking afraid of the answer.

Sora said nothing.

"Nuka just wanted to make her proud," whispered Kovu. Sora had to hastily swallow a sob. "The bonehead," Kovu choked out, his voice wavering. "Now he's gone..."

Sora squeezed his eyelids shut tightly, trying to stem the flow of tears that threatened to spill. "I'm so sorry, Kovu," he breathed, his throat constricting.

"It's _not_ your fault," Kovu assured him firmly. "It's no one's fault..." These words didn't hold the same certainty.

"Those are nice words, but they're still just words," Sora said morosely.

"I know..." Kovu trailed off. His face screwed up in pain. "Mother blames me, that's why she gave me _this_." He twitched his bangs aside, letting his scar shine angrily in the moonlight. It was clear Kovu believed his mother, too. They sat in silence for a few moments, connected by shared guilt.

"Hakuna matata!" Sora suddenly blurted.

Startled, Kovu shook his head quickly, wondering if he'd heard right. "What?"

"Hakuna matata," Sora repeated. "It means 'no worries.' Simba used to use it as an excuse to run from the past. He'd say, 'Bad things happen and there's nothing you can do about them, so why worry?' But I think it means something more like, 'You can't change the past, so stop worrying about what happened and start thinking about what _will_ happen.'"

Kovu smiled and shook his head again, this time slowly in disbelief. "Not exactly whatI asked for, but inspirational all the same," he noticed appreciatively.

"...Yeah," Sora agreed.

They crested a hill and saw something to chase away their melancholy thoughts; Kiara and Kairi. Kiara's ears perked up and she looked behind her, a loving smile blossoming on her face upon spotting Kovu.

"Go get her," Sora encouraged. The two sprinted towards each other, embracing joyfully. A gentle breeze swirled around them, sweeping a sheet of ash into the air. The mysterious potpourri twirled onto the dance floor, encircling the couple. Sora had known they were meant to be together for a while, but it seemed like someone up there was agreeing with him now.

Finally allowing himself some happiness, he joined Kairi a little ways off from Kiara and Kovu. She rubbed her head tenderly against his. "Are you alright?" she purred into his ear.

"I am now," he replied. She nipped at his ear, not satisfied with his answer. He sighed happily, amazed that she could think about anything else at the moment. "Alright, my side still twinges unpleasantly and I have a kink in my neck." She pulled away, frowning skeptically. "_Really_," he stressed, "that's all." She eyed him for a moment longer before letting the subject drop.

"Where's Yuna?" Jiminy inquired during the opening in the conversation.

"I told her to keep an eye on Simba," she responded. She glanced at Kiara and Kovu, now blissfully chasing a pair of butterflies. "They're like Romeo and Juliet, but without the suicide," she remarked.

"If they're Romeo and Juliet, then Simba is Hamlet," Sora snorted.

Kairi gasped mockingly. "_You_ paid attention in lit class?" she teased.

"Yeah, yeah, have your fun," Sora drawled. "Call me a moron, tell me not to do something so stupid again, I know you want to."

"I would never," she denied contritely. "You wouldn't listen, so why should I waste my breath?" She stuck out her tongue flippantly.

"I love you, too," Sora deadpanned.

Kairi smirked at him, a devious look in her eye. She pounced on him unexpectedly and they tumbled down the hill together. They accidentally crashed into Kovu and Kiara on their way down, nearly rolling all of them into a shallow pond. The four young lions burst out laughing as they started untangling themselves.

By pure chance, Kovu and Kiara ended up next to each other, facing the pond, gazing at their reflections. "Check this out," Kovu said. Only half of their faces were reflected on the water's surface, but Kovu moved his head closer to Kiara's, bringing his half of a face together with hers, creating a whole face. "We are one."

A look of profound realization slipped over Kiara's features. Sora could tell she was on the brink of epiphany. "What are you going to do now?" he asked, mainly to Kiara.

Kovu was quicker to answer. "Leave Pride Rock and start our own pride, I guess."

Nuzzling Kovu fondly, Kiara said, "We have to go back."

"We can't go back!" Kovu spluttered, an incredulous look on his face.

"You're together now," Kairi argued. "If you go back, you'll just get separated again."

Kiara shook her head slowly, peering deeply into Kovu's eyes. "Our place is with our pride," she asserted.

"But –" Kovu tried, but Kiara shushed him.

"They'll be divided forever unless we do something," she explained. Kovu continued to resist her argument, then sighed in defeat. "Are you with me?" she asked him softly.

"You know I am," Kovu responded just as quietly.

She turned to Sora and Kairi. "What about you?" she enthused. "Are you with me?"

Sora had to smile at Kiara's resemblance to her father just then. Here was the Simba that Sora remembered, not the prejudiced ruler he'd turned into. "Now and forever, Your Majesty," Sora professed, dipping his head in a small bow. Kairi did likewise.

His eyes met Kovu's briefly and they shared a look of newfound hope. The same thought was going through their minds. _This_ was the good in the bad, healing the schism in their pride.

A small swirl of light appeared between them, depositing Yuna in its wake.

"Yuna!" Sora and Kairi scolded as Kovu's and Kiara's mouths dropped. Yuna knew not to do that in front of people (which meant she hardly ever did it). After Monstropolis, they'd been much more careful about meddling.

"No time!" Yuna said quickly. "The Outsiders just waged war on the Pride Landers. If you don't hurry, there won't be a pride left to return to. Come on!" She flew off in the direction of the river.

After the initial shock wore off, they quickly tore after Yuna as she led them to the battleground. No one spoke, saving their energy for running. Dark, fateful clouds formed in the sky, snuffing out the moon, making the night truly feel like night instead of a pale imitation of day. An angry torrent pelted down on them, making the ground treacherously slick. Lightning flashes and thunderclaps punctuated the landscape.

Distant roars of fighting met their ears, spurring them on even harder. Their bank of the river drew nearer, though it was more of a cliff with the river dry, a cliff with a nasty fall. On the far bank, the gruesome battle. Kiara let out a cry of dismay.

The river was too wide here to jump, but the rain was adding up quickly. The only reason the river was still dry here was a pile up of driftwood, a natural dam. The weight of the water pressed heavily against the wood, threatening to overpower the obstacle, creating many groans and creaks of protest. The dam would be a perfect bridge, though, provided they could make it across in time.

Kiara jumped onto the first log without hesitation, determined to reach the other side. A similar fervor gripped the other lions as they followed Kiara along the unstable wooden death trap, racing the river's might. Timbers were tossed about in the water's clutches, thrown in their path or removed from under their feet.

When they were nearly to the other side, a deathly quiet fell over the battlefield. Both sides had suspended their fighting, something else having snared their attention. All eyes were watching Zira and Simba circle each other, waiting for the climactic finish of the war.

A flash of lightning illuminated their paws, raised to strike the first blow. The crack accompanied Kovu and Kiara as they jumped over the top and into the line of fire. Facing their respective parents, the courageous couple stood their ground, preventing the bloodshed from continuing.

"Kiara?" Simba uttered, startled by her sudden appearance.

"Kovu!" Zira hissed in surprise.

Sora and Kairi scrambled the last few steps up the cliff. Seeing their friends in such a precarious position, Kairi moved to help, but was stopped by Sora's upraised paw. This wasn't their fight anymore.

Zira glared at her son dangerously. "Move," she growled lowly.

"Stay out of this," Simba ordered firmly.

Neither budged an inch.

"This fighting has gone on too long," Kiara stubbornly asserted. "It has to stop here."

"Move!" Zira yelled again, more forcibly.

"Never!" Kovu shouted back, digging his claws deep into the muddy ground.

"You'd betray you family?" she asked, trying to evoke guilt in Kovu.

Nothing would persuade him to back down at the moment. "If it means saving my friends, then yes," he whispered with a resolute sorrow.

"Remember when you told me, 'We are one?'" Kiara reminded her father gently. He gazed at her like an animal backed into a corner...figuratively speaking. "I understand now, Daddy."

"But –" he stammered like a child caught doing something wrong, "they –"

"_Them?_" she stressed. "I don't see 'them,' I just see us. Don't you see? We're _not_ one." She gazed sadly around at the assembled crowd, imploring Simba to do the same. Sure, some of the lionesses were a bit scruffier than others, but they were all still lions and they were contemplating Kiara's words just as carefully. The only true outsiders here were Sora and Kairi.

A friendly wind blew across the battleground, chasing away the dire clouds, revealing that daybreak had snuck up on them. As the warm morning light peeked through, Simba closed his eyes and let the hopeful rays wash over him. When he opened his eyes again, he smiled warmly at his daughter and embraced her tenderly.

"Way to go, Simba," Sora approved quietly, loud enough for only Kairi to hear.

"Vitani!" Zira commanded. "Now!"

"No, mother," another lioness argued, giving Zira a hard stare. Kovu's sister? "Kiara's right." A ripple of astonishment went through the crowd as Vitani padded forward to join Kovu's vigil. "Enough," she pleaded.

Zira's astonishment quickly turned to silent rage. "Show no mercy," she snarled at her soldiers, piercing her children with an intimidating stare. "Kill them all!"

Everyone stared at Zira, horrified that she would sacrifice her children to satisfy her revenge. As hard as it was for Sora to stomach, he had to admit that Zira wasn't just misguided, she was downright evil...just like Scar.... Her children had bitter looks on their faces, as if they'd come to the same conclusion.

Zira sneered in triumph as she waited for her lionesses to attack, but none did. They were eyeing her with disgust and revulsion. They'd gotten what they'd come for, the chance to live in the Pride Lands again. Why should they continue the senseless violence? One by one, they all trickled over to Simba's side.

"It's over, Zira," Simba stated calmly. "It's time to put the past behind us." In his heart, Sora was applauding, well..._heartily_. Congratulations were in order, but not just yet.

"Never!" Zira roared, starting to border on hysteria. A mad glimmer appeared in her eyes. "Long live the king," she cackled insanely, hunkering down on her haunches.

Kiara's eyes widened as she realized what Zira was about to do. Even as Zira pounced, Kiara was leaping to protect her father. She caught Zira's side and the two of them fell towards the river, toppling over the edge of the cliff.

"Kiara!" a multitude of voices cried. Simba immediately leapt to the rescue. The hard expression on Kovu's face easily revealed that he intended to do the same, but Sora cut him off before he could.

"No," Sora explained. "It's too risky to send more than one person."

With a sour expression, Kovu acknowledged Sora's point. Instead, he stared anxiously down at Kiara. She and Zira had tumbled to the last outcropping of rock before the long drop to the river. Zira had rolled slightly farther, though, and was clinging desperately to the rock wall.

Simba jumped desperately from surface to surface trying to reach Kiara. With a shudder, Sora's memory flashed back to one of his previous visits when Simba was clinging to the edge of Pride Rock. His heart fluttered nervously, praying Simba still had some of that youthful strength.

A torturous crack and distant rumble diverted Sora's attention to their make-shift wooden bridge. With a last groan of retort, the dam burst apart, letting the water rush forth in raging protest of its imprisonment.

"Simba!" Sora yelled urgently. "The river!" If any of them fell at this point, they would surely drown.

In a courageous act of kindness, Kiara reached her paw down as far as it would go, urging Zira to grab it. The stubborn lioness was true to her proclamation; she refused to take Kiara's forgiving paw. The inches slipped away quickly as Zira scrambled fruitlessly to climb to safety. The last inch slipped out from under her paw and she tumbled into the river's writhing grasp.

Both Kovu up top and Kiara down below sighed sadly, having hoped for a happier ending. Purring soothingly, Kairi rubbed against Kovu comfortingly. Finally reaching Kiara, Simba extended a paw to help her up and they began climbing together.

It took a few more anxious minutes for them to reach the top, during which Sora half-expected Zira's Heartless to rise out of her watery grave. After all, she _was_ just like Scar.

The second Kiara was safely on land again, Kovu sighed in relief. "Oh, Kiara," he breathed lovingly, tenderly placing his head against hers. Still no Zira.

Simba was up moments later, receiving a similar display of relief from Nala. He returned her affections distractedly, studying Kovu out of the corner of his eye. Still no Zira.

"Kovu," he called, giving the young lion a calculating look. Kovu immediately straightened, like he expected to be reprimanded. Simba surprised them all by saying, "I was wrong. You _are_ one of us." Smiling at Kovu's incredulity, Simba addressed everyone present. "You_ all_ are." Still no Zira.

Next, Simba turned to Sora. "Do you even have to ask?" Sora queried in amusement, his trademark grin appearing. "You know there's no hard feelings."

"My conscience won't be clear until I apologize," Simba said seriously. "I'm sorry, Sora. You've always been looking out for me, even though it took a while for me to realize it."

"No matter how much growing up I've done, I _am_ still just a goofy kid," Sora pointed out, getting Simba to crack a smile. Still no Zira.

With an air of satisfaction, Simba said, "Let's go home." He began leading his healed, whole pride back to Pride Rock, once again the proud king Sora had come to know and love.

Kovu approached Sora, gazing at him with a depth of gratitude he'd never thought possible. "Do you still need some hope?" he asked.

A heart saved from darkness. A forbidden love overcome. A king rescued from himself. A damaged family healed. All this accomplished despite Sora's lack of faith mere hours ago. If Sora didn't hold on to hope, what would he have left to fight for?

"No," Sora replied. "I don't."

And still there was no sign that Zira would return as a Heartless. He allowed himself to hope that she wasn't coming back.

"Good," Kovu nodded. He turned to leave, but stopped short when Sora and Kairi didn't follow. "Are you coming?"

"No," Kairi answered. "You don't need us sticking around anymore."

"Don't worry," Sora inserted quickly as Kovu's face fell, "we'll see each other again someday."

A small smile appeared on Kovu's face. "I'll hold you to that." He loped off to catch up with Kiara.

They watched him go proudly.

"He'll make a fine king," Rafiki's voice cut in, making the two of them jump. He laughed at them from atop a boulder.

"Yes, he will," Sora said simply.

The shaman placed his hand pensively on his chin, staring after Kovu. "Destiny is a funny thing."

"Yes, it is," Sora agreed wholeheartedly. His mind drifted back to Tia Dalma's hut and wondered what peculiar twists of fate destiny had in store for him. "But now our fight continues."

"Yes, it does," Rafiki said, nodding sagely with his eyes closed. He opened them with a grin, clearly poking fun at Sora's inadequate answers, but his expression intensified when he spotted something over Sora's shoulder. "Sooner than you think."

Sora whirled around to see a Shaman Heartless in its invincible, fiery form. The hovering mask floated over the savannah, leaving a trail of blue fire in its wake. It quickly looped around Simba's pride and returned to the river, trapping them with a fiery barrier. Many began roaring in confusion, retreating from the hot flames.

A paw appeared over the cliff...and another...as Zira's Heartless laboriously pulled herself up. With a last heave, she vaulted over the edge. This further confused the lionesses, creating mass chaos. Simba, Nala, Kovu, and Kiara were the only ones still thinking clearly and they desperately tried to restore order.

So much for _that_ hope. No matter.... They still had the hope of defeating her, a hope Sora thought was much more reasonable.

Zira roared, flaring with dark power. The dire clouds curtained the sky once more. Dark portals begetting Shaman and Living Bones popped into existence, followed by dark flames begetting Dark Chimeras. Seeing what her dark magic had wrought, Zira threw back her head and laughed maniacally.

"Oh, no," Kairi quailed.

"Look on the bright side," Sora pointed out. "At least there's no Berserkers." She shivered in agreement.

Sora's first priority was to give the pride a fighting chance. A Living Bone galumphed his way with a Shaman saddled on top. Perfect! With a graceful leap, Sora pounced on the Shaman, grasping it in his jaws and flinging it out of its seat. Taking the reins – figuratively, again – he Rodeo'd the stupid creature towards the pride. It flailed about under his direction, walloping all the enemies in its vicinity.

A few Chimeras got the bright idea to ooze up the Living Bone Sora had control of. The sudden halt sent Sora flying off the Heartless, but now a Bone and several Chimeras were out of commission.

Several other lionesses saw what he'd done and tried to copy him. It was difficult at first (it had taken many tries for Sora to get the trick down), but then they started working in groups, distracting the Heartless long enough to saddle it up.

"That's it!" Sora encouraged. "Work together!" He approached a trio that had successfully trapped a Living Bone with three Chimeras. "Now whittle the big one's health down, but don't destroy it just yet."

The three lionesses were formerly Outsiders and worked exceptionally well together with amazing efficiency. When the Bone's health was low, Sora roared, encouraging the lionesses to do the same, causing the Chimeras to vibrate like before. Right before the Halfhearted exploded, Sora summoned his Keyblade. When they finally burst apart, Sora dispatched the Heartless before it had a chance to attack.

"Have everyone do it just like that," he commanded. The lionesses nodded sharply and went to carry out his orders.

Once assured that the pride was in good shape, he went to help with Zira. Kairi, Simba, Kiara, and Kovu were fighting gallantly against her, but their cohesiveness was lacking and they were suffering because of it.

As Sora rushed towards them, Zira sprang into the air. When she sailed over Sora's head, he cast Thundaga, knocking her to the ground.

"Simba!" Sora yelled with a smirk. "Do you think you can still keep up with me?"

"Just watch," he challenged.

They roared back to back, the pooled magic of their Wildcat Limit cracking the earth and driving it upward in jagged spikes. Sora unleashed a wicked string of attacks on Zira while Simba devastated her with slashes of his claws. They ended the Limit with a terrific roar laced with damaging energy.

Zira grunted in pain, but quickly recovered. "What's the matter, Simba?" she laughed loudly. The king was panting heavily and looked worn out from the Limit. "Not as young as you used to be?" With blinding speed, Zira sprinted forward and bashed Simba hard, knocking him aside.

Kairi and Kiara rushed to Simba's side, while Kovu charged his mother's Heartless. With a challenging roar, Sora rushed to join Kovu. She watched them come with glee evident in her eyes.

A large dark flame flared several yards behind Zira. It moved forward swiftly, losing many small flames as it went until it resembled a lion. It leapt over Zira completely, the last of the flames guttering out. Sora caught a glimpse of a large lion that looked a lot like Simba before said lion was on top of him.

They rolled once toward the river before the largest lion Sora had ever seen had him pinned. Even though Sora's lion form was bigger than before, he still fit under this lion as easily as he'd fit under Scar as a cub (why he was ever a cub, he'd probably never know). Scar was never the strongest of lions, so Sora had been able to Counter and escape. This lion, though, was stronger, too strong for Sora.

Amid his struggling, Sora heard a cry of alarm and pain from Simba, as well as a startled squawk of "_Sire?_" from Zazu. Claws that gleamed with an unnatural sheen bit into Sora's shoulders. A massive paw raised to snuff him out of existence, granting Sora a glimpse of deep obsidian eyes that threatened to swallow him in their depths.

Rafiki's staff appeared out of nowhere, walloping the large lion on the head and distracting him long enough for Sora to break free. The baboon handled his staff in a way that suggested he'd studied a martial art, perhaps more than one. The two of them faced the enemy lion. His eyes were the eyes of a Restless, but there was no Keyblade in sight.

"Oh, my friend," Rafiki lamented, "what dark magic has done this to you?" No...it couldn't be...?

The Restless swiped Rafiki aside effortlessly with his massive paw, sending the baboon shaman flying several yards. He let loose the most terrific roar Sora had ever heard from any creature and an iridescent barrier formed, leaving Sora to face the lion alone.

Zira and Kovu were struggling violently with Kiara flitting about anxiously, offering support where she could, but she had eyes only for Kovu. Kairi was still tending to Simba, but she had eyes only for Sora. Simba, though, was frozen with soul-crushing dismay and he had eyes only for the Restless.

"Mufasa..." Sora quailed. But where was his Keyblade?

Mufasa's Restless lunged at Sora, trying to pin him again, but Sora rolled away quickly. The sheer difference in their sizes gave Mufasa a distinct advantage. Sora _had_ to keep the late king at a distance if he expected to win.

Fortunately, speed was still on Sora's side. Before the Restless could turn, Sora rammed his flank and began a combo with his Keyblade. Near the end of it, though, the great lion clamped a heavy paw down on the Keyblade, nullifying Sora's attack. The other paw swung around and slashed across Sora's face. The blow ripped his mouth off the Keyblade and sent him flying through the air.

"Ingonyama nengw' enamabala..."

The sound of Rafiki's voice distracted Sora momentarily, giving Mufasa an opportunity to pounce again. Sora barely managed to wriggle away.

"Ingonyama nengw' enamabala..." Rafiki continued to chant for whatever reason.

Before Sora was able to put distance between them, the Restless lion managed another lunge that Sora wasn't prepared for at all. Powerful jaws closed around Sora's neck, preventing him from moving. He cried in pain as the pressure increased, igniting a Firaga spell in his panic. To his relief, Mufasa yowled and retreated.

Sora's cry was enough to snap Simba out of his horrified shock. With a roar of battle, Simba charged straight at the combatants, forgetting the barrier. When he met it, he was blasted backward.

The wind started to pick up, bringing a shrill scream to Sora's ears, indicating the end of Zira's Heartless. The pride was nearly finished with Zira's flunkies, as well. The duel between Sora and Mufasa was attracting quite an audience now.

The great cat roared sharply, sending a shockwave through the earth. It ripped up the ground, sending jagged rocks every which way, threatening to skewer Sora. With his feline agility, Sora hopped nimbly across the broken earth. His powerful legs sprang him gracefully into the air and he aimed a powerful downward slash at the Restless.

Mufasa jumped up to meet him, clamping his jaws around Sora's Keyblade. With a jerk of his head, the Restless sent Sora careening through the air again to crash into the hard ground.

"Sora!" Simba called anxiously. "This is a lion's fight. You have to fight like a lion."

"Except I'm _not_ a lion, remember?" Sora snapped, stumbling up. That last blow still had him reeling...loosening his lips.

"Listen to me," Simba urged. "The only way you can win is to stop fighting like a man and start fighting like a lion."

With all the force of a freight train, Mufasa rammed Sora's side, emptying his lungs of air and smashing him into the barrier. He blinked groggily, the edges of his vision growing dark and his head pounding madly. Many voices called his name in concern, but the only thing his ears picked out was Rafiki's chanting.

_Sora!_

His eyes snapped open. Time seemed to slow as Mufasa pounced once more, his claws spread and his maw gaping. With a shiver, Sora remembered Simba's fight with Scar. Getting under the lion wouldn't work so well for Sora, though. He'd just have to go over.

Sora jumped straight up as high as he could. As the great head passed just under Sora's back paws, he kicked down with as much force as he could muster and vaulted off Mufasa's back, sending the Restless crashing to the ground.

Twisting in the air gracefully, Sora landed lightly, facing Mufasa. The great cat snarled and threw back his head, not looking much worse for wear. Even after all the bits of damage Sora had done, the Restless still looked as healthy as when the fight has first begun. Mufasa was more powerful than Sora, a fact that their size difference couldn't account for entirely, but how? How, when Mufasa's Restless had yet to summon his Keyblade?

A strong tailwind gusted across the savannah, buffeting the Restless. For a moment, the dark clouds were blown away and a ray of sunlight poked through, spearing Astan's dark creation. Mufasa lifted a heavy paw to shield himself from the brilliant radiance.

Another, lighter breeze drifted by, leading that mysterious dancing potpourri. It teased the Restless relentlessly, always twirling out of his claws' reach. Sora again noticed how Mufasa's claws seemed to shine unnaturally. But...it wasn't like the dark, perverted unnaturalness of Astan's creations. It was more wholesome, more pure. More good.

_Give your heart new form._

The regal voice resonated in Sora's heart, assuring him that he hadn't imagined it the first time. It was slightly familiar, too. Where had he heard it...?

"Stay out of this!" the Restless Mufasa growled, speaking for the first time. It sounded just like the ethereal voice!

Sora gasped, remembering. He'd overheard the former king talking to his son before, encouraging him to take his place in the Circle of Life. The _real _Mufasa was helping Sora now, _had_ been helping him this whole time. He cocked his head to one side, distracted by the weirdness of the situation.

Rafiki's eccentric laugh pealed across the plains. "He lives in you," he boomed prophetically. "He lives in me." His arms swept upward, taking in the sky. "He watches over everything we see." A zephyr blew around Rafiki, embracing him as a friend. Shaking a finger in reprimand, Rafiki cackled, "Mufasa never did like copy cats."

Sora grinned eagerly, kneading the ground in preparation. "Neither do I."

Shuyin had said the Keyblade was just the heart given physical form. That must have been what Mufasa meant. A blade was a man's weapon, an extension of the hand and arm, not a lion's weapon. The only weapons lions had were their teeth and...their claws.

Sora closed his eyes and raised his head to the sky, enjoying the gentle wind that caressed him. He felt calmer than he had in ages, which freed his mind to think clearly. It surprised him to realize that he'd never before thought about _how_ he summoned the Keyblade. Most of the time, things happened too fast to think at all. He needed it and it appeared, it was as easy as that. All he had to do was feel the blade in his hand or teeth and it would be there. Maybe it _was_ that simple. It was always a blade because he always thought of it as a blade. Maybe he just needed to think of it as a different weapon. Like Mufasa.

_Now!_

Sora reared, his eyes snapping open. The Restless lunged at him one last time, his claws shining with that unnatural light, the Keyblade's light. Light swirled around Sora's paw as he drew it back, thinking of the power he always felt thrumming in the Keyblade and imagining that power contained in his claws. He brought his paw down with an air of finality, the Keyblade's glow leaving afterimages in its wake. Mufasa's Restless shook the ground with a terrible roar of agony when Sora's paw connected. Even as the air still leaked from his lungs, the Restless keeled over, dissolving as it fell. The last wisp of darkness dissipated, revealing a Keyblade made of claws.

The barrier went with the Restless, allowing Simba to step forward and sniff the Keyblade curiously. "Is it yours?" he wondered.

"No," Sora replied with a smile. "It's Mufasa's."

Simba stared at Sora in amazement. "My father...was a Keyblade Wielder?"

"Yup," Sora chirped. "He did all that great stuff with the Keyblade's help. But you..." He paused, letting his words sink in. "_You_ do great things without it. In my opinion, that makes you the greater king, even if you _have_ made a few mistakes."

Simba opened his mouth, but couldn't quite get the words out. It looked like there was so much he wanted to say, but at the same time didn't know what to say at all. In the end, he settled for, "Thank you."

"You know me," Sora scoffed playfully, flashing a grin. "I never give up on people." He bent his head toward Mufasa's Keyblade. "Now, if you will excuse me, I've got some business to attend to." He gently grabbed the hilt of _Tooth and Claw_ in his teeth.

When Sora's eyes opened in the Crossroads, his eye level was several feet higher than it had just been, disorienting him. Glancing down, he saw that he was his normal, human self. That would probably explain why his jaw was starting to hurt. Chagrined, he spit the Keyblade into his hand.

Noble laughter made Sora notice Mufasa in front of him. "Teeth are fine for lions, but not so fine for men."

"No kidding," Sora snorted. He didn't enjoy talking down to the late king, so he sat on the dusty ground with his legs folded beneath him and _Tooth and Claw_ across his lap. Up close, Mufasa was both intimidating and awe-inspiring. He had a benevolent face, but his entire body rippled with muscle, reminding Sora that Mufasa could eat him alive if he wanted to.

"Well done, Sora," Mufasa congratulated. Respect swelled up in Sora's heart. Mufasa hadn't bowed or called him some honorific, he'd used Sora's name.

Sora rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I couldn't have done it without your help," he humbly pointed out.

"That does not diminish your accomplishment," Mufasa corrected him. "Rather, it elevates it. We are all connected in the great Circle of Life and you are at the heart of these connections. If you refused help, it would doom us all." He gazed intensely into Sora's eyes, almost like he was gazing into Sora's soul. "Do not fall to your pride."

"I won't," Sora vowed. He knew he couldn't do this alone.

Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Even if it is to spare others a burden you don't want them to bear?"

"What?" Sora gasped, startled by the question.

"Sparing others, while righteous, is still refusing help, making it a prideful act as well," the wise king explained gently, as if he understood how disturbed Sora felt. "This is what leads to a Wielder's undoing most often."

"I...see," Sora muttered, which was the truth. He understood and agreed with Mufasa now that the perspective had been explained to him. That didn't mean he was comfortable with it. In his heart, Sora wasn't sure he could do what Mufasa was asking.

"I don't need your word," the former king told him, as if reading Sora's mind. "Just keep this knowledge in your thoughts and heart."

"I will," he swore. This promise, at least, he could keep.

"Now then," the great cat continued. "That is my advice to you. What questions do you have for me?"

Sora looked down into his lap, frowning in thought, and noticed _Tooth and Claw_. A whole host of questions suddenly burst into his mind. "So, you can give the Keyblade any form you want?"

"Yes," Mufasa nodded. "As you have discovered, all you have to do is imagine the Keyblade taking a different form and it will. It is attuned to your desires and will do its utmost to fulfill them."

"I wish it and the Keyblade tries to do it?" Sora asked, overwhelmed by the possibilities this new discovery entailed.

"Yes, but keep in mind that the nature of a Keyblade is that of a key," the lion admonished. "Not even the Keyblade can go against its nature."

"Hmm..." Sora trailed off. The Keyblade would try to fulfill his desires, but was limited by its nature. Well...he was able to change its _form_ just by changing his thinking.... "So, I just have to start thinking outside of the box?"

"Yes...and no," Mufasa replied mysteriously. "Rather, just look at the box from a different perspective. The Keyblade can open any lock –"

"– so I just have to imagine something as a lock!" Sora concluded excitedly.

"Precisely," the wise lion approved. "This still doesn't guarantee success, though. The more abstract your thinking, the less likely it is for the Keyblade to succeed. And it can't alter minds and hearts at all."

Sora's face fell. So he couldn't use the Keyblade on people like Simba who locked their hearts with anger and hate. Oh well.... There were still many possibilities to explore.

"Also, be careful of the form you choose for your Keyblade," Mufasa added. "Changing it lightly could lead to your demise. Stick with its natural form when you can."

"Its natural form?" Sora pondered. "Do you mean a blade?"

The great lion nodded his majestic head again, sending another thrill of awe and fear through Sora. "All Keyblades, regardless of the Wielder's natural form, are naturally blades."

Sora gripped _Tooth and Claw_, turning it over in his hands and examining it. "That's why it turned into a blade," he surmised. A silly question occurred to him then and, as was Sora's way, he immediately mused, "Would you call its other form Keyclaws?"

Laughing heartily, Mufasa answered. "I don't see why not, but most still call it the Keyblade regardless of its form."

"Why is that?" Sora pondered aloud, not really expecting an answer. "Why a blade and not something else?"

"Because of the Chasers," came Mufasa's unexpected answer.

"The Chasers?" Sora repeated, amazed that his rhetorical question wasn't so rhetorical after all.

"The makers of the Keyblade," the king explained.

A jolt of excitement shot through Sora's body. "You mean Hojevah, Jessu, and Pristi!" he blurted eagerly.

"I don't know their names," Mufasa admitted regretfully. "I just know they are the ones who Awaken Wielders and grant them Keyblades."

"It _is_ them!" Sora whooped. Finally, some answers about the beings that had chosen them and desperately needed their help now. "But, why are they called 'Chasers?' What do they chase?"

"Hearts," Mufasa replied simply.

"They chase after hearts?" Sora asked, scratching his head in confusion. That sounded like the Heartless...or an infatuated teenager.

"Not 'to chase' as in 'to pursue,'" Mufasa remarked, almost as if he'd expected the misunderstanding. "'To chase' can also mean 'to shape metal.'"

"I get it," Sora muttered. "They shape hearts into Keyblades...."

"Yes, they shape hearts into blades." A thoughtful look crossed the lion's face. "I assume that means their natural forms are human-like."

"People have natural forms, too?" Sora clarified.

"When you visit a world, the world chooses a form that best suits you for interacting on that world. But here..." Mufasa indicated the Crossroads. "...you take the form that best represents who you are."

"That's why _I_ changed back," Sora said. He grew quiet, mulling over all Mufasa had told him. The former king was quite knowledgeable. Perhaps his knowledge hadn't yet dried up; there was still one topic of concern in Sora's heart. "How do the Restless invade the worlds in the first place? Do they open Keyholes?"

For the first time, Mufasa looked agitated. "Wielders do not need Keyholes or special paths to go to and from the worlds they are assigned to protect. That is why you are free to go where you please; you have been assigned to protect _all_ worlds." A sour look crossed his face. "The Restless retain this ability. They can let darkness into the world without opening the Keyhole."

Sora thought back through all his adventures since receiving the Keyblade. Dark hearts could also let darkness in without opening the Keyhole, like Scar had before, like Zira had now. To overrun it completely, though, the Keyhole needed to be open, which is why Maleficent had tried so hard to unlock as many as she could. The worlds Sora and Kairi had visited were safe; they all either had a Restless, a dark heart, or both. But the Keyholes in Traverse Town and Mathemagic Land were unsealed, meaning an outside darkness was trying to overrun it. That explained _why_ they were opened, but...

"That still doesn't explain _how_ two Keyholes were opened," Sora sighed dismally. Maleficent had needed the help of a dark heart, like Clayton or Jafar, to unseal the Keyholes. Even with the Radiant Garden Keyhole, she'd first needed Xehanort to call the darkness. These two seemed to have opened of their own accord.

Mufasa gave Sora an uneasy glance. "The only ways to open a Keyhole are to force it open..." Sora had already ruled this out. "...or unlock it with a Keyblade."

Wave after wave of shock washed over Sora with all the might of the ocean. It couldn't be! There was just no way! Astan couldn't possibly be..._a Keyblade Wielder_....

"It only takes a strong heart to wield a Keyblade," Mufasa whispered breathlessly, seeming as horrified as Sora.

As much as Sora wanted to deny it, he had to accept that Astan was indeed a Wielder. It explained how he was powerful enough to do all..._this_. The realization left him as winded as if he'd been kicked in the stomach. How could he? How could he befoul the worlds with the Keyblade's power? How could he besmirch the Keyblade's name? How could he betray Wielders everywhere like that? _How could he go against everything the Keyblade stood for?_

The treachery was too vile for Sora to comprehend. He hadn't felt this betrayed since Riku...said some things...in some blindingly white castle.... Sora was too distraught to remember or even care about remembering. He only remembered what it felt like to be stabbed in the back

He was too distraught to notice his return to the real world. Too distraught to acknowledge his friends. Too distraught to give the many explanations he owed. Too distraught to melt into a puddle of goo when Kairi licked his cheek

All he could think about was Astan, Wielder of the Keyblade...and how much he wanted to rip the turncoat to bloody shreds....

* * *

The pride was gathered on Pride Rock's precipice, an air of excitement hovering over them, driving away all other thoughts. Today was about Kovu and Kiara, not Astan or Chasers or even Kingdom Hearts.

The wise, old shaman rattled his gourd-decorated staff over the couple's heads, pronouncing them man and wife. With identical expressions of bliss, Kovu and Kiara nuzzled each other lovingly.

Sora approached the newly-weds and the not-so-newly-weds seated nearby with a huge smirk across his face.

"Why do you look so smug?" Simba asked suspiciously.

The smirk growing wider, Sora answered, "Kovu's your _son_-in-law now." Still completely giddy, he turned to Kovu. "That makes _you_ the future king."

Simba and Kovu shared sour looks before shoving Sora playfully. He chortled, his ego still high from the double dose of I-told-you-so. Still grinning madly, Sora stepped aside to let the four lions pass.

The royal family strode proudly to the edge, presenting themselves once more to the animal kingdom, though for a very different purpose this time. Taking a deep, nervous breath, Kovu roared to the assembly. The pride roared back in approval of their new prince. He roared again, this time joined by Simba, Nala, and Kiara. The animals voiced their approval with a cacophony of sounds.

A light breeze picked up, gently nudging aside the friendly clouds and allowing the sun's rays to peek through. A bit of potpourri sashayed past Sora on its way to congratulate the royal family. He watched it dance away with a content smile. The great kings of the past were pleased.

_Well done, my son. We are one_....

"Getting them together was such a good idea," Yuna sighed romantically, earning murmurs of agreement from her companions. "Glad I thought of it," she hummed proudly.

Sora chuckled quietly, not wanting to encourage her. It _had _been her brilliant idea, but that didn't mean he couldn't give her a hard time. "But _we_ pulled it off," he pointed out, laughing at her annoyed reaction.

"Great minds think alike," Rafiki unexpectedly joined in the conversation. "It was Mufasa's idea to get them together, too." Yuna buzzed happily, pleased to be put on the same level as the great Mufasa. "I just pulled it off with you." An insane grin stretched across his face. "I suppose the _greatest_ minds _do_ alike," he cackled, getting a frown from Yuna.

Sora gazed at the four royals one last time, bolstering his hope as much as he could while he still had the chance. They could take it from here, which meant... "Time for us to go."

"Your fight continues," Rafiki said seriously, then cracked a grin, "but not here, this time."

Sora winked at the baboon. "That's the great Circle of Life."

"It is," Rafiki agreed. He saluted smartly. "Good luck to you, my brother."

A smile broke on Sora's face. Good, old, nonsensically profound Rafiki. "Tell them 'good-bye' for us," Sora requested.

A fierce determination grabbed ahold of him as he took the first step towards the next world...and one step closer to Astan.

* * *

**A/N:**

Aw snap! She's trying to connect back to Nomura. Hehe, it's been connected this whole time actually. I'm just the only one who knows that. Just like I'm the only one who knows (mumblewhispermumble). ;) If you look at the timeline, though, KH2: Final Mix came out somewhere during chapters 3-5...FYI.

On a much more divulgent note, I've started a sort of companion fic to go with this story: _Jiminy's Journal, Under New Management_. Yuppers, it is the journal as entered in the Commspheres. Hehe, this is for all of you out there who are thinking, "What was the Holy Love Limit, again?" Who knows, you might discover something you didn't know by reading it. ;)

It seems I have unwittingly inserted more physics than I intended to. See, classical physics is based upon the idea that time is constant, no matter what your frame of reference is. But I'm taking a course that covers relativity. This is based upon the idea that _the speed of light_ is constant. For this to be true, time can't be constant. For instance, say you have two realms and one is moving faster relative to the other at a speed that is close to the speed of light. Time will actually pass more slowly for the faster realm. Hehe, isn't relativity some great stuff! What's ironic is that if I explained the time screw-up with relativity, the Dark Realm would be moving closest to the speed of light. XD

I have a very sadistic muse. She's been giving me tons of great inspiration lately, but it usually hits me at the most inopportune times, like when I have to leave for class or when I should be doing my homework. XD Oh well... You should still be greatful to her for helping me write my longest chapter yet, w00t!

**New Characters:**

Zira: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)  
Nuka: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)  
Vitani: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)  
Mufasa: The Lion King (1994)


	23. Hard of Hearing

Chapter 23: Hard of Hearing

Riku emerged from the Back Alley onto the wide cobblestone street of Station Heights. He could smell something large and dark, the scent wafting to him from the Tram Commons, as well as many other fainter scents. Of course the big baddie would attack the most public place in town. He only hoped that most people were still milling about the Sandlot, still high on adrenaline from the Struggle tournament.

Another tremor rocked the ground and Riku hunkered low to keep his balance, his Keyblade at the ready. The hair on the back of his neck prickled uncomfortably, a sensation he was quickly coming to associate with Halfhearted.

Cursing silently, he started jogging down the incline to the Tram Commons, intent on stopping this before anyone got hurt. Midstride, a dark shape oozed out of the ground around his right ankle. With a yelp, he tumbled forward, twisting as he fell so that he would land on the cushiony parts of his side and arm. The proper way to fall in martial arts was to land on the fleshy parts of the hip, side, and underarm to minimize injury. Done correctly, as Riku had barely managed to do, the fallee would hardly feel a thing. He made a mental note to teach this to Yukari later.

However, the fall had jarred Riku's shoulder and he hissed as it flared in pain when he pushed himself onto his hands and knees. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Yukari and Naminé were right; his arm still needed some time to heal.

Oathkeeper soared over his head, impaling a second dark shape that had leapt at Riku and carrying it in the opposite direction. The Keyblade was quickly followed by a Blizzaga that met the Halfhearted just before it smashed into the wall. Another Blizzaga froze the one around his foot and he smashed it impatiently. Jumping up, he backed towards his friends.

Neoshadows and Golems appeared on either end of the street, limiting their options to fighting or retreating to the Back Alley. Retreating would just lead the creatures to Hayner, Pence, and Olette, though.

"Have it your way," Riku snarled, raising Way to the Dawn in his left hand. Roxas twirled his Keyblades in a showy way, grinding them together and throwing up sparks. Yukari raised Onsaken in ichimonji, bouncing restlessly on the balls of her feet. Magic already swirled in the air around Naminé. With a squeal, Rikku dove into Riku's pocket, ready to dole out items.

The Neoshadows attacked first with a flurry of claws. Those with weapons raised them to block, only to have their feet oozed up. Riku hacked furiously at the Neoshadow nearest him, his left hand clumsy, until the small, pink heart was released to the sky.

He heard a yelp of surprise, followed by someone falling into his back. Naminé was caught between Riku's back and a struggling Yukari. Several Neoshadows were taking advantage of her lack of experience and the lack of anyone in a position to help her. Snarling, Riku reached behind him to swipe at the Heartless, joined by Roxas. The Heartless easily ducked under the blades and clawed at Yukari. She responded by whacking one on the head, Onsaken's prongs vibrating madly from the contact.

A Neoshadow pounced on her chest, scrabbling wildly for her heart and bending her further backward. Riku reached over his shoulder and blasted it off with Dark Aura. Grunting, Naminé pushed Yukari upright, struggling to maintain her own balance with her feet oozed together.

The gleaming, yellow eyes of the remaining Heartless seemed to sneer at them, emphasizing that Neoshadows were one of the more intelligent Heartless. The foul creatures had the upper hand and knew it.

One of the Neoshadows that had been attacking Yukari suddenly jumped past her onto Roxas's back. He yelped in pain as claws dug into his back, his Keyblades unable to reach his attacker.

"Ultima!" Naminé cried desperately. The swirling nebula of colors blossomed around Naminé, enveloping the remaining enemies in the vicinity and annihilating them.

Riku had barely breathed a sigh of relief when pain assaulted him. It felt like an atomic bomb had gone off in his stomach and was obliterating him from the inside out. He fell to his knees, clinging to his Keyblade for support. Roxas's raspy breathing grated against his ears.

"Ether," Naminé wheezed, "now." She was half-leaning-on, half-holding-up Yukari who had her arms around her stomach and was trembling.

"On it!" Rikku chirped perkily, having escaped any damage. She chucked the softly glowing blue cube out of Riku's pocket at Naminé. The restorative light briefly surrounded her before being syphoned off by the Golem.

"No, I forgot," she moaned, her sentences choppy. "The Ultima spell...it redirected it...I'm sorry...mana gone...my fault..." She broke off with a shaky sob.

"Calm down," Yukari muttered weakly, shuddering one last time before relaxing. She slowly reached for Onsaken, its prongs vibrating almost as soon as she touched it. Deliberately, she brought the curious weapon down on the oozy Golem around her legs, knocking it into a new frequency. The Halfhearted vibrated for mere moments before exploding.

As soon as everyone was free, Rikku tossed a Mega-Potion into the air, calming their protesting muscles. Roxas immediately pulled Naminé into his arms to help calm her, while Riku placed comforting hands on Yukari.

"Are you alright?" he asked her worriedly. He genuinely feared for her safety and it was twisting his stomach into knots. The only other person who affected him like this was Kairi. His heart already considered Yukari a close friend.... Again, Riku wondered if this wasn't Jessu's doing.

With a grunt, Ri rolled back on her butt and began running a hand over her legs where the Neoshadows had scratched her. "That's so...weird," she breathed in wonder.

Riku thought he knew what she meant. The creatures they fought left no marks. When they caused damage, it was like the flesh wasn't even there. It's more like they were reaching into the very soul and stealing a bit of life force. The sensation was hard to get used to.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" he questioned, helping her to her feet.

"No," she admitted, "but that's not going to stop me." She quirked an eyebrow at him in amusement. "Why? Are you worried about me?"

"Hn," Riku grunted, turning his back on her and stalking away.

"Playing hard to get isn't going to work," she shouted after him, a smirk evident in her tone. He heard Roxas and Naminé snigger softly.

Bristling, he snapped, "Don't we have a world to save?" He couldn't believe that just a minute ago, he was actually concerned for her. How did she manage to get under his skin so easily? Even Sora's annoying bubbly nature couldn't irritate him this quickly.

The others followed him as he jogged into the Tram Commons, only to be stopped by a small picket line of Golems. A Blizzaga was already chilling the air around Naminé's hands, but Ri placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I got this," Ri asserted. She tapped Onsaken lightly on the ground to start its motion, then pushed more energy into the prongs to make them vibrate faster. The Halfhearted matched the vibrations for a second before bursting apart. With a satisfied noise, Yukari damped the weapon on her thigh.

Riku was astounded she wasn't staggering in exhaustion. "How'd you do that so easily?" he blurted.

A proud smirk grew on her face. "Halfhearted are much more unstable than the others," she explained. "It's like trying to force two puzzle pieces together that don't fit. It doesn't take as much to shake them apart."

"At least we know they have another weakness besides Blizzaga," Roxas pointed out.

"What about big, orange lizard guys?" Rikku queried nervously.

"I don't know," Roxas sniffed. "What makes you think we'd need to know how to stop big, orange lizard guys?"

"How about the big, orange lizard Heartless that just destroyed the Accessory Shop?" Riku deadpanned, bracing himself for the tremor the Heartless created.

The Rizlord reared back its long, snake-like neck, poised to strike them with its serpentine head. It hissed menacingly at them, revealing a pair of gleaming fangs. With lightning-fast precision, the neck snapped forward. Riku was the only one with reflexes fast enough to shield them from the blow.

It glared at them angrily, brandishing the Heartless insignia on its forehead. It swung its three tails, catching them all in the chest and flinging them backward. Several short hisses erupted from its maw. The Heartless was laughing at them!

A snarl curling his lips, Riku put up a Dark Shield and charged forward, intent on shoving his Keyblade into the Rizlord's soft, white underbelly. All of the tails had rattlers of varying sizes on them and the Heartless raised the tail with the smallest rattler, vibrating it madly. No sound came from it, but a moment later Riku's head began spinning and he lost his balance, crashing to the ground at the Rizlord's feet.

The Heartless raised a scaly leg to turn Riku into toe jam, but he was still too disoriented to move. At the last second, Roxas tackled him out of the way, the Rizlord's foot bashing into the ground and ripping up cobblestones with its claws. Hissing in outrage, the Rizlord whipped its head at them again. Naminé quickly stepped in front of them and shielded them with Reflega. The creature screeched in pain as the spell countered and withdrew.

Roxas dragged Riku to his feet. "What was that?" he snapped angrily, his worry manifesting in frustration.

Closing his eyes on the spinning common, Riku put a hand on his head, using the other to steady himself on Roxas's shoulder. "Dizzy," he groaned.

"The rattler's frequency must be matched to the fluids in the inner ear that control balance," Yukari's voice explained. He concentrated on its clarity to chase away the fuzziness in his mind.

"Why did it only get Riku?" Naminé wondered in concern.

"I don't know," Ri said agitatedly. "It's not physically possible."

"Is it magically possible?" Riku asked her, opening his eyes.

"I don't know..." she echoed herself, sounding more thoughtful than worried this time.

"Heads up," Roxas warned. "Tail number two."

They all tensed as the tail with the medium rattler rose. As soon as it began moving, a loud, piercing tone drove through their eardrums. Riku clutched his ears, trying to block the horrible noise. It felt like the Rizlord's fangs were digging into his brain.

Yukari whimpered, clutching her temples instead of her ears. Her fingers fumbled over Onsaken's ear pieces until she finally managed to remove them. With a sigh of relief she pocketed them and raised Onsaken, not appearing bothered by the sound anymore. She pointed her weapon at the rattler, a determined snarl on her face. The weapon exploded into action and the noise abated almost immediately.

Roxas moved in Ri's peripheral vision, catching her attention momentarily. "How...?" he began as her eyes flicked to him briefly.

"Destructive interference..." she gasped, locking her eyes on the still rattling tail once more. The Rizlord hissed in annoyance and moved to strike again, the sharp fangs shining menacingly. Riku lunged forward and caught the fangs on his Keyblade, weaving the teeth and weapon together in a way to prevent the Heartless from striking again. It took all of his strength and concentration just to hold it there.

The tail thrashed madly in his direction, the rattler blurring in its frenzy. For a moment, the sound threatened to assail his ears again, but Yukari growled and Onsaken's vibrations intensified as well.

"What are you waiting for?" she snapped. "Destroy the rattler!"

"Right," Roxas affirmed, springing to action. He patted Riku's shoulder supportively. "Hang in there." Riku grunted in acknowledgment.

Roxas sprinted along the Rizlord's neck and clambered up its shoulder. With a guttural rumbling, it gave up on bursting their eardrums and put more energy into bucking Roxas off its back and Riku off its fangs. Yelping, Roxas wrapped his arms around its neck, trying to keep from slipping under the massive feet while avoiding the three tails trying to flog the flesh off of him. Naminé hurried to help him, shielding him as much as she could.

Riku's biceps screamed in pain and his calves trembled weakly. A foot slipped forward a few inches. Grimacing, he dug in harder, panting heavily. He couldn't last much longer. Just when he felt he was about to lose it, someone pressed up against his back and grabbed him roughly around the waist, anchoring him.

"Take this the wrong way and I'll cut your balls off," Yukari hissed in his ear threateningly, though Riku could tell she just wanted an excuse to be difficult. If he'd had the energy, Riku would have rolled his eyes, although he couldn't stop himself from smirking. He was learning to enjoy their friendly bickering.

"Tail three!" Naminé shouted with a moan. The last and largest of the rattlers began vibrating slowly, producing a note so low that Riku felt it rather than heard it. A strange, physical anxiety gripped his chest and his stomach turned nauseously. The ground began trembling under his feet and loose debris began crashing down from the buildings around him. He had to release the Rizlord to shield Yukari and himself, lest they be crushed into a bloody pulp.

Naminé cowered under a sparkling Reflega, the shimmering shield blasting apart the deadly rubble. Roxas, still clinging to the base of the Rizlord's neck, was safe...from the earthquake, that is. With a snarling hiss, the Heartless reared back its head, trying to reach Roxas. He watched it carefully, swiping at it with a Keyblade whenever it got too close for comfort.

Finding that it couldn't get a good angle on Roxas to strike with its fangs, it wrapped the high frequency tail around his middle, breaking his surprised grasp. Doing that strange, hissing laugh again, the Rizlord wrapped another coil around Roxas, this time trapping his arms. The Heartless raised its trophy high, brandishing the audible frequency tail. There was a moment of tense silence before the rattler exploded into motion.

Roxas yelped in pain and tried to move his pinned arms. All the sound was being concentrated at his unprotected ears. Horrified, Naminé tried to stop the rattler with a Blizzaga, but the vibrations just cracked through the ice and persisted.

Snarling, Yukari ran forward and whacked the Rizlord with Onsaken. The head immediately focused on her. Staring defiantly at it, she pointed her weapon directly at its eyes and shined a ray of bright, white light on it. Without eyelids for protection, the Heartless took the full intensity of the radiation, screeching in pain.

With the Rizlord distracted by the light, Roxas was able to free an arm. Uttering a fierce battle cry, he plunged Oathkeeper through the fragile pieces of hardened skin, ending the earsplitting noise permanently.

A terrible wailing emanated from the Rizlord's maw. It slung Roxas across the common, slamming him heavily into a building. He fell to the ground and didn't get up. A foot swiped at Yukari, sending her into Naminé. The foot bore down on the girls, intending to crush them, but pulled away as a Firaga spell scorched it.

Riku peppered the beast with blasts of Dark Aura, trying to get its attention. Hissing in annoyance, it struck at Riku. The fangs sank into the ground where Riku had been before he rolled away. For a few glorious seconds, the Rizlord was stopped in its tracks. Riku's eyes grew bright as an idea came to him.

"Stop!" he blurted.

"Stop what?" Yukari spat in annoyance.

"No," he explained, still distracting the Heartless, "the spell, Stop. Naminé, can you do it?"

"I don't know," she apologized, "I've never tried. I learned my spells from Kairi's memories of learning them, but she doesn't know Stop."

"Sora does." He avoided another strike.

"Did," Naminé corrected him. "Learning spells is more of a process than a memory. Restoring Sora's memory of learning them wasn't enough; he still had to relearn them all. That's why Roxas doesn't remember any of the spells he learned while he was part of the Organization." She grimaced. "He wasn't too happy when I explained that to him in the Gummi."

"You just said you learned from Kairi's memories," Ri snapped, watching Naminé carefully. "Do the same with Sora's."

"It's different!" Naminé cried hysterically, frustrated tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I _was_ Kairi, then."

"You have to try," Ri ordered. She was pushing the quieter girl hard and Riku wasn't sure Naminé could take it. Larxene in Castle Oblivion, and later Ansem in Twilight Town, had severely damaged the girl's self-esteem.

"Drop it," Riku commanded sternly. The misses were getting narrower.

Yukari ignored him. "You can do it."

"I can't!"

"You can!"

Riku felt a fresh wave of nausea before his balance was thrown off again.

"Do it!"

"But–"

The head reared back, the fangs winking promisingly at Riku.

"Naminé!"

"I–"

It struck.

"_Riku!_"

"_STOP!_"

The fangs halted inches from plunging into Riku's side. Blowing cold sweat out of his eyes, he rolled away quickly and staggered to a wall. He'd forgotten the strength inside her that only appeared under extreme pressure. He'd also forgotten how Sora and Roxas had helped rebuild her self-esteem.

"Told you," Ri murmured, her usual smugness absent. She gave Naminé's shoulder a quick squeeze, then turned to assess Riku.

"Nice job," Riku said. Naminé smiled at the compliment, looking flushed with success, but Yukari's eyes shone with understanding. The comment was for both of them. He'd realized that Ri hadn't pushed Naminé because of her blunt, stubborn ways; she'd pushed because she'd read Naminé so well. A smirk grew on Ri's face, and he knew she knew he knew she was good.

Movement made them all remember the fight at hand. The Stop spell was wearing off and the Rizlord was slowly regaining its motor functions. In one fluid movement, Yukari pushed herself up, drew back her arm, and launched Onsaken like a javelin. The buzzing prongs tore through the high rattler and stuck into the wall behind it.

"Damn," Ri swore, looking up at her weapon high above their heads, "maybe that wasn't such a bright idea."

"You think?" Riku asked sarcastically.

She huffed at no one in particular, except perhaps herself. "You weren't supposed to stick," she scowled.

The Stop spell broke, inflicting Ri's damage on the Heartless belatedly. Its cry of agony drove into Riku's brain as effectively as its rattler had. Mad with pain, it went on a rampage, thrashing about and rattling its remaining tail insanely. With no one to control it, Onsaken picked up the strong vibrations from the tail, amplifying them. The street itself was ripped up in the frenzy.

"Dammit!" Yukari burst. "That was definitely _not_ a bright idea." The weapon had vibrated loose and fallen to the ground, bricks crashing on it only to crumble to dust from the intense sound waves. She scrambled towards it, ducking around debris.

Riku snarled in irritation. Of course she would go after it without any protection. He covered his head and bravely dove into the death trap after her. "She is going to be the death of me," he growled.

"Uh oh," Rikku teased from his pocket, "someone call suicide watch."

"What?" He jumped over a tail. "Why?"

"You're flirting with death," she giggled infuriatingly.

"I am _not_ flirting," he argued, dodging a large chunk of building. He wasn't flirting, was he? If he was, then Yukari was flirting back. No harm in that, right? Friends were allowed to flirt as long as they knew it didn't mean anything.

"De-ni-al," she trilled. He grunted, ignoring her.

Yukari snatched up Onsaken triumphantly, immediately dampening it, just in time for a large boulder to crash down on her head. Riku rushed to her aid, but he needn't have. She thwacked the boulder right down the middle, breaking it in halves that fell to either side of her. The weapon glinted, unscathed.

"Sturdy," Riku commented, impressed once again by the curious weapon.

"Well, duh," Ri scoffed. "It needs to be pretty damn close to indestructible to keep from snapping when it vibrates."

"I–woah!" Riku yelped as one of the crippled tails squeezed him in its coils. Another tail snatched Yukari up a moment later. It tightened around him, threatening to crush his chest. A noise of pain from Yukari indicated it was doing the same to her.

"Guys!" Naminé cried anxiously. The Rizlord hissed menacingly, raising a foot to smash her. Covering her head, she cast Reflega. The foot met the barrier and took damage from it, but the Heartless ignored the pain and kept up the assault, intending to overpower the spell by force.

It underestimated Naminé's tenacity and stamina. After a minute locked in a stalemate, the Heartless hissed in annoyance and looked around, casting about for ideas. Its beady, amber eyes fell on Roxas's prone form. The low frequency tail pointed towards the building near him, directing all the earthquake-producing waves at it. The structure began crumbling almost immediately.

"_ROXAS!_ _No!_" Naminé screamed. "Reflega!"

Another shield formed around her love. She staggered as the building crashed down on top of it, but the shield held, as did the one still keeping the clawed foot at bay. She was powering two simultaneous Reflega spells! Impressive as it was, the strain could kill her. Gasping, Riku started flailing wildly.

Yukari was struggling to get Onsaken in a good position. She managed to point it at the tail holding Riku. It began vibrating and Riku didn't see or hear anything, but an intense wave of heat knocked the small amount of air in his lungs out. The Rizlord squealed and dropped him.

He maneuvered towards the low tail, ready to jump on it and shimmy up to the rattler. The Heartless had different ideas. The tail whipped at him, still vibrating heavily. He could feel the air in his chest moving in response to the frequency as he narrowly dodged it. It whipped again and missed again.

The third time, the Rizlord swept the tail along the ground, trying to trip Riku. He just hopped over it as if they were playing a game of jump rope. Another idea popped into his head. It swept again. This time, he timed his jump so that he landed on top of the tail. It only halted the tail for a moment, but that was all the time Riku needed to stab the rattler and silence it for good.

The beast roared in pain and reared, exposing its vulnerable underside. Without thinking, Riku positioned himself under the Heartless, raised his Keyblade skyward, and braced himself. The Rizlord fell back to the ground, right on top of Way to the Dawn. Its entire weight collapsed on Riku, crushing him briefly, but then it vanished, the heart winking merrily before disappearing.

With the Heartless gone, Yukari was released...two stories above the ground, that is. Riku dashed forward and caught her in his arms, lowering them both gently to the ground where they sat panting for a few seconds. Naminé's shields had vanished with the Heartless and she'd collapsed moments later.

"You check Naminé," he gasped out once his breath had returned somewhat. Yukari just nodded weakly and crawled over.

Riku got up shakily and staggered over to Roxas. It worried him that the former Nobody hadn't come to yet. "Hey," Riku said, shaking his friend anxiously. "Roxas, wake up."

Much to Riku's relief, Roxas moaned and began stirring. "My head," he groaned. His hand made its way to the back of his head, but stopped short. "What the...?" he murmured, examining his ear gingerly with his fingertips.

After a moment, he brought his fingers into view. There was blood on them. Riku checked Roxas's head to find a trickle of the fluid dripping from both ears. This didn't seem to interest Roxas as much as the blood on his digits, though. He was staring at them intently. "Blood. _My _blood," he moaned, a green tinge creeping into his face.

"Are you alright?" Riku asked worriedly. Roxas said nothing, still staring transfixed at the red fluid on his finger tips. "Hey, Roxas." Riku waved a hand in front of the other's eyes, trying to get his attention and failing.

"_My blood_," Roxas moaned again in a chilling tone that sent shivers down Riku's spine.

"Roxas, snap out of it!" Riku said hurriedly, puzzled by Roxas's behavior. It wasn't like him – or Sora, for that matter – to wig out like this.

"Naminé's out cold and probably will be for a while," Yukari's voice explained from behind Riku. "Otherwise she's fine, she's just too heavy for me to move, so I left Rikku with her." The little sneak must have snuck out of his pocket without him noticing. "Is Roxas okay?"

"No," Riku replied steadily, his attention locked on Roxas. He was trying his best to stay calm himself. The last thing they needed was another person to lose it. "Roxas is freaking out because his ears are bleeding." This type of thing was not something he was good at.

Ri knelt beside Riku and peered at Roxas in concern. "His ears are bleeding," she frowned.

At the mention of blood, Roxas snapped, but not in a good way. "_Are you deaf?_" he exploded."He just said that!" Yukari winced horribly, like she normally did when people yelled too close to Onsaken's sensitive prongs. Except...she hadn't replaced the earpieces yet.

"I'm surprised _you_ aren't deaf," she remarked in a surprisingly gentle tone – gentle for her anyway, which was still quite brisk – considering Roxas's attitude. "You're angry and panicky. Calm down."

"Panicky? Who's panicky?" blurted Roxas. "Oh, bleeding. I'm bleeding."

Ri slapped him across the face. Always direct, that one. "Suck it up. Haven't you seen your own blood before?"

"No, I haven't," he hissed icily. "You need a heart to bleed." The anger quickly disappeared as Roxas moaned sickly. "Oh..."

Yukari grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. "Deep breaths," she murmured soothingly. "In, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four." Elbowing Riku, she hissed, "Everyone." She and Riku began breathing together and kept at it until Roxas's shaky breathing matched theirs.

Yukari sure had a way with people when she felt like it. Did she learn this type of thing, or did she make it up as she went along? Riku suspected the latter, which only astounded him more. She could read people well enough to find a problem and was determined enough to make sure it got fixed. Riku might not have been able to read people as well as her, but he could tell Yukari had problems of her own that needed fixing and he was determined to return the favor.

After a few more breathing cycles, they all let the air out of their lungs in one massive sigh. "Better?" she asked gently.

"Yeah," Roxas muttered, letting his eyelids flutter shut. "Thanks."

"No problem," she replied. "Keep your eyes closed for a bit." She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and started dabbing at the blood to clean him up. She must have sensed Riku's inquiry, because she said, "Bad sinuses."

Riku blinked. He never thought he would use this term to describe Yukari, but she was acting very _motherly_. Even when she had tended his shoulder, she had still been brisk and blunt. Then again, Riku had been defensive instead of freaked.

"Mental note:" Riku remarked casually, "Roxas doesn't like the sight of blood, more specifically his own."

Roxas groaned. "I'm pathetic," he chuckled wryly.

"Look on the bright side," Ri started. "At least you have a good excuse for being a pansy."

"Thanks."

"Seeing your own blood takes some time to get used to," she continued, finishing with his ears and starting on his fingers. "So does controlling your emotions, like fear. You haven't done either yet."

Roxas shook his head. "The way Hojevah explained it, Naminé and I formed our own hearts before he created our bodies for us." She let him have his clean hand back and he opened his eyes, giving her one of Sora's best lopsided grins. "I've never had a reason to be scared before, though, so you're half-right."

She shrugged. "Everyone gets scared. Anyone who doesn't is either invincible or stupid."

Roxas eyed her curiously. "What are _you_ afraid of?" he chanced.

She hesitated, her eyes studying their faces closely. "The dark," she finally whispered.

"Fearing it will just make it harder to resist," Riku warned her quietly.

"Not the darkness," she snapped, glaring at him. "The dark, like when the sun goes down." She got a far away look on her face. "When it's impossible to see." Her eyes dropped to the ground and she rubbed her arms nervously. "Sight is all I have..." she whispered so quietly that only Riku managed to catch any of the words. He clearly wasn't supposed to have heard it, though. What did she mean...?

Something in Roxas's face seemed to soften as he witnessed her moment of vulnerability. Whatever grudge he'd held, whatever negative impression he'd had of her, slipped away. Yukari's kindness had touched him, proving to him that she did care under the facade she displayed for the worlds. Their personalities might still rub each other the wrong way, but they wouldn't be adversaries anymore.

"I'm going to check on Naminé," Roxas said, easing himself up. As he walked past Yukari, he patted her shoulder companionably, jolting her out of her thoughts.

"Where are you going?" she asked disapprovingly, sounding like her usual self. "I haven't given you a clean bill of health, Mister."

Both boys raised eyebrows at her. "I just said I was going to check on Naminé," Roxas frowned.

"Oh," she peeped sheepishly, a blush creeping onto her face. "Guess I didn't...didn't hear you." Uncertain was another word Riku had never expected to describe Yukari with.

"You need your hearing checked," Roxas joked.

"No, I don't!" Yukari bit harshly, seeming offended. She realized how abrasive her tone had been a moment later. "I mean...we all need our hearing checked. That Heartless was designed to damage it. Wake Naminé up, get her to patch up your ears, and I'll test you."

"Yes, Mom," he responded mechanically, rolling his eyes and getting a snort out of Riku.

Riku watched Yukari carefully as Roxas walked away. She was staring at the ground again, fingering an earlobe absently. A hunch was working its way into Riku's gut and he wanted to test it. Direct confrontation wouldn't work; Yukari would just deny it and he'd lose any chance of proving himself right. She wasn't watching him right now, so all he had to do was say something outrageous, something she couldn't ignore if she heard it. _If_ she heard it...

"I have a confession to make," he began with a serious expression. "I'm gay. I have the hots for Sora and I want to fuck him up the ass." He had difficulty keeping the contents of his stomach down as he said that.

She didn't bat an eyelash.

"I have another confession to make," he tried again. "I lied. I'm not gay, I'm bi. Sora's not here right now so how about I just screw you instead?" He shuddered at the thought of what her response would be if she heard him.

Not even a twitch.

Thoroughly convinced that he was right, he decided it was time to confront her and touched her gently on the shoulder. Her head whipped up and he locked eyes with her, staring hard. The games ended now. She stared back with frightened eyes, as if she knew what was about to happen and dreaded it. This was soon replaced with defiance, followed by calculating calm.

"_Are_ you deaf?" he asked quietly.

"Don't be–" she started to argue, but he cut her off.

"Are you deaf?" he repeated, emphasizing each word.

Even though he held her eyes captive, even though she had no chance of hiding, she still tried to evade him. "Roxas already asked that–"

"–and you never answered him," he countered. "Answer me now."

"This is crazy," she huffed in a final attempt. She tried to get up, but Riku grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. A few more tense moments passed before she finally gave in. "Fine, I'm deaf. Happy?"

"No," he sighed angrily, dragging his fingers through his hair anxiously. He hadn't wanted to be right. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

A long-suppressed anger of her past flared in her eyes. "See?" she exploded. "This is _exactly_ why I didn't tell you, because now you won't trust me. Well I've got news for you. I'm just as capable as any of you, _more_ in some aspects. Being deaf doesn't mean I'm broken, or useless, or crippled. Handicapped is a state of mind, not a state of being."

Her rant might have gone on indefinitely if Riku hadn't stopped her. "Enough!" he snapped, cutting the air with his hand. It was his turn to rant and she was going to listen. "I don't care if you're deaf, dumb, blind, or any combination of the three. A good warrior is _supposed_ to be able to fight without the use of all their senses. I _do_ care when you keep potentially life-threatening secrets from us."

"Life-threatening?" she whispered, confused.

"Yes," he stressed. She had to understand this if she was going to keep fighting alongside them. "When you decided to come with us, you put your life in our hands." She nodded to show she understood. "Well, by accepting you, we put _our_ lives in _your _hands, too." The horror growing in her eyes was almost enough to make Riku quit. Almost. "What if one of us called to you for help? What if one of us tried to warn you? What if–"

"Stop," she choked, her eyes glistening.

He sighed again, already starting to feel guilty. He didn't mind ripping people apart when they deserved it. The honest mistakes were the hard ones. "Is there anything else you've kept from us that could be potentially dangerous?" he inquired gently.

She took a few deep, metered breaths to calm herself. "Nothing comes to mind right now, but I promise I'll tell you the moment I think it's important," she swore. To prove her resolve, she replaced the earpieces in her ears.

He could live with that. The value of secrets was something he understood. After all, he had many of his own that he didn't plan on sharing with her. It wasn't fair of him to expect her to spill her guts without good reason.

"Riku?" she began hesitantly. "Do the others have to know?"

"Why don't you want to tell them?" he questioned.

"All my life I've been treated differently, but now I've finally escaped from it," Yukari whispered desperately. "Please don't send me back to that." Her eyes pleaded with him, begged him to understand. Those captivating, expressive eyes....

"Fine," Riku relented, "I promise I won't tell anyone. For now." He frowned sternly.

"Thank you," she breathed gratefully.

"You'll have to keep your ear pieces in as much as possible."

"Of course."

"Stay near me at all times, in case they fall out in a fight or something."

"Got it."

"If you get separated from me, tell whoever else is with you."

"...Okay."

"Promise me," he insisted.

"I promise," she nodded. They both let out huge sighs and pushed themselves to their feet, putting the unpleasant situation behind them for the time being. They stood pensively for a moment before Yukari looked at Riku suspiciously. "How did you know?"

He coughed in embarrassment. "I put the pieces together," he dodged.

"You insulted me while I couldn't hear you, didn't you?" she accused, swelling with indignation.

"No," he stalled, "I just...said something...you couldn't ignore."

Yukari frowned at him a moment longer before her mouth fell open and her eyes flew wide. A dangerous flash in her eyes was the only warning he had of imminent danger. The next thing he knew, his face was stinging from where she had slapped it.

"What did he do now?" Roxas sighed exasperatedly, walking over with his arm around a groggy Naminé.

"He was too smart-ass for his own good," Ri answered coolly. "Come here. I'll check your hearing, then we can head back to the Usual Spot." She stepped past Riku, careful to bump his shoulder roughly with hers, and went about her testing.

Riku raised his hand absently to his burning cheek, smirking. Her technique was getting better.

* * *

**A/N:** (waits patiently while readers reread all the twilight chapters) That's right, Yukari's been deaf from the very beginning. It was really interesting getting those first reactions to Yukari. I had some people thinking she has hearing problems (and I promptly misled them) and I had some people thinking she has above average hearing. Surprise! She has no hearing! Feel free to ask me anything you want to know, just keep in mind that my answer will most likely be elusive. I swear to you, I have an answer to probably anything you can come up with, I just won't tell you...yet. ;)

Just so we're clear, I an not anti-slash. One of my favorite pairings is actually Cleon. I like a little Soriku too...in the appropriate setting. The only one I don't really like is AkuRoku, but that's because I think Axel is way too old for Roxas. The thing is, I like sticking with the canon more. Soriku is okay as long as it's in a noncanon setting. Pull it on me in the KHverse and I won't read it. Sora is obviously with Kairi. Note that we really don't have any indication of Riku's preference (his obsession with Kairi came from his competitiveness). The reason I think Riku is straight in the game is because I don't think gay would fly well with Disney.

Fun fact: The idea for the Rizlord came from Mythbusters. They were testing the Brown Note myth. Basically, the myth is that a note with a low enough frequency (1-10 Hertz, well beyond human hearing) will make you lose control of your bowels. It was busted, but I did learn the physical effects of low notes like that from them. They also did high frequencies just for the heck of it.

On a completely unrelated note, if you ever get bored and want some cute violence, check this out: yukaria(dot)mybrute(dot)com


	24. E V’res Fea Chexulin

**A/N:** Before you get too engrossed in this chapter, I have a bit of explaining to do. This chapter and the next will be based on the books _Auch das Schöne_ and _Amazing Grace_ by Stephanie Dyrkacz Weidner, better known on ff(dot)net as Lady Karai (1066710). The world is definitely _not_ in the Disney spirit, for reasons that will become obvious later, but I don't care. One, she is a marvelous author. You should all visit her profile and read everything there, fic and novel alike. Smother her in reviews; she deserves every one of them. Two, she graciously decided to become my beta way back when I first started this fic and has mentored me in the ways of fiction writing. If you enjoy my writing, be grateful to this woman because I'd say about 50% of the quality of my writing is due to her. Three, the parallels between some of her characters and Nomura's characters were just too tempting. ;)

Now, as chances are very slim that anyone besides me has read these books, I went ahead and summarized them in the chapter, so bear with me. It's dry reading, but you need it to understand the next chapter. If you're an overachiever, you can purchase these books from the author herself. Check out her profile if you're interested.

**Pronunciations:**

N'Darie: en-DAR-ee-ay  
N'Daria: en-DAR-ee-ah  
Karai: kah-RAH-ee  
Malae: ma-LAH-ay  
Jocea: joh-SAY-ah  
Shasonai: shah-so-NAH-ee  
Sh'sanon: shih-sah-NON  
Vindeflei: VIHN-deh-flay-ee  
S'tahn: sih-TAHN  
K'nsolear: kihn-so-lay-AHR  
L'Guan: lih-GWAHN  
J'nel: jih-NEL  
J'nelefe: jih-NEL-uh-fay

* * *

Chapter 24: E V'res Fea Chexulin

Sora caught Kairi's arm as she staggered into the new world. After getting in touch with their inner feline, the abrupt change back to two legs was a bit disorienting. The only reason Sora wasn't tottering about like a drunk was that he'd expected it.

"Thanks," she muttered appreciatively, steadying herself on his arm. After getting her bearings, she picked up her head to survey their surroundings.

The door had dropped them on the side of a country road. On the other side of the street was a quaint church, complete with a small cemetery. It was surrounded by lush, green grass and a few tall trees Sora couldn't identify. Further down the road, the trees thickened, casting the packed dirt into shadow.

Off in the distance, he could see a sprawl of houses that brought the word 'suburbia' to his mind, a concept that had only been described to him. Past that was a skyline of shining metal. But here, on this quaint country road, technology hadn't taken over just yet. Here was a small piece of nature that was being preserved from the high-paced craze.

As the sun began its descent into evening, throwing a golden glow over the landscape, Sora's thoughts strayed to their purpose on this world. They were here to save places like this from defilement. They were here to stop the darkness from overtaking this world. Astan's darkness. A _Keyblade Wielder's_ darkness. Sora's fists clenched as he thought of the traitor.

A faint, stagnant scent drifted past Sora's nose, making his nostrils twitch. It mingled with the heavy scent of lilacs in an unpleasant way.

"Do you smell that?" Sora asked Kairi.

Kairi took a deep breath of the flowery scent coming from the church's garden. "Oh, those lilacs smell wonderful!" she gushed. Sora frowned. She obviously couldn't smell whatever it was he was smelling.

Despite the warm, pleasant breeze that blew across the land, the young Wielders began shivering. The land suddenly seemed more dire, as if a theatrical gel had been pulled over their eyes, making everything a shade darker. A sort of invisible force pressed down on them, eating at their souls like a disease. It pushed despair into their hearts, threatening to reduce them to their most primal, violent feelings. He felt it grab for his anger, trying to fuel it until it burned out of control. With great effort, he forced the fire down.

"This place feels strange," Jiminy murmured meekly, his normal cheer quite subdued.

Kairi huddled into Sora's chest, grabbing his arms and draping them over her. "I don't like it," she quavered, trembling against him. He held her soothingly.

"Me neither," Yuna agreed with a tremor in her voice, alighting on Sora's shoulder. "It's creepy and depressing." She pressed herself against his neck, clinging to him fearfully.

It must have been this strange darkness that Sora had smelled. Not only that, after a few more experimental sniffs, Sora realized that his sense of smell had somehow become keener. A thrum of energy from his glove reminded him that he had yet to test out Mufasa Form. That must have been it. Mufasa Form had improved his sense of smell like Valor Form had improved his jumping skills. Vaguely, he wondered how his other forms had affected him, but pushed that bit of information to the back of his mind for the time being.

His attention returned to his three companions, quickly losing their faith. Sora gazed out at the landscape with hard, determined eyes. He wasn't about to let this world and its strange darkness get to him..._or_ his friends.

"Come on, guys!" he encouraged. "Don't let it get to you. It can only win if you let it." He let his heart fill with the confidence he was feeling, willing it to spread to the others. "Think about how we saved Kovu from the darkness and Simba from himself. Think about how happy Kovu and Kiara looked when they got married."

He sensed a smile grow on Kairi's face and felt her relax against him. "That's it," Sora murmured. "The darkness will never beat us as long as we hold on to hope." His hope had just been renewed and nothing, not even this world, would have a chance of diminishing it.

Kairi smiled up at him tenderly, admiration shining in her eyes. He smiled back, pouring all his love for her into the expression. With a happy sigh, she closed her eyes and hugged him tightly. All her fears seemed to drain away as she held him, and he held her back to keep those fears from returning.

A flicker of movement caused Sora to look up. He glanced down the road towards where the trees began to thicken. At the edge stood a man dressed all in white. Whether it was the angle of the setting sun or just the brightness of the clothes, the man seemed to have an ethereal glow that bathed the rest of him in white as well. A friendly smile greeted Sora from under a pencil mustache. Dark, enigmatic eyes burning with passionate fire met the kindred flames in Sora's clear, blue ones.

Noticing Sora's stare, Kairi twisted around to look towards the wood. The man raised his hand to his forehead and gave a salute-like wave before turning and walking into the trees. The shadows folded over him in a way to make it look like he'd shimmered out of existence.

"What are you looking at?" Kairi asked with complete innocence.

"That guy..." Sora muttered distractedly, still staring after him. "The guy in white."

"What guy?" Kairi asked again in a polite tone designed to humor him while still seeming somewhat curious.

"That guy over there!" Sora blurted, pointing wildly at the spot where the man had 'disappeared.' "The one all lit up like a light bulb." Kairi gave him a searching look and Sora's arms sagged in disbelief. "Didn't you see him?"

"Sora," she frowned worriedly. "There was no guy."

He gaped at her. Surely _one_ of them had to have seen him. "Jiminy?" he tried.

"I didn't see anyone, Sora," the cricket replied regretfully.

"Yuna?" A hint of desperation was creeping into his voice.

"Nope," she chirped, "Nothing."

His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his companions. They really hadn't noticed anything, even though Kairi, at least, was staring directly at the man. Sora knew in his heart that he hadn't imagined the guy, so why was he the only one who had seen him?

Almost in a daze, Sora wandered after the curious man. Just that brief glimpse had Sora hypnotized. He passed under the leafy canopy, not waiting for Kairi to follow. There was something important about him...

"Just where do you think _you're_ going?" a cruel voice sneered menacingly. Sora instantly forgot about the man as a thrill of foreboding shot through his heart. He sped up.

"I'm on my way home," a calm, kind woman's voice replied. "If you will excuse me..."

Ahead, a group of thugs was blocking the way of a woman with dulling, green hair. She politely began to circumvent the gang, but one punk put out an arm to stop her. "I don't think so, alien scum." He cocked back his fist and punched her hard in the face, sending her to the ground.

"We'll teach you to come here and screw up our planet," another jeered before giving the woman a solid kick in the side. The rest soon joined him.

Sora had seen enough. "Hey, hey, hey, hey!" he cried, jogging to them and waving his arms comically. "Fellas, fellas, what do you think you're doing?"

"Turn around and keep walking, if you know what's good for you, chump," a third bozo threatened, punching his palm.

"You call that a beating?" Sora scoffed, improvising. He wasn't about to start wailing on these idiots with his Keyblade, even if they were a bunch of dirtbags, but there were too many for Sora to handle in an all-out fist fight. No, he had to take a few by surprise first. "I've seen sewing circles do better than you."

"Oh yeah, tough guy?" The group stepped over the woman and converged on Sora. He watched them come with a huge grin on his face. This was going to be fun.

"For starters," Sora began, "you have horrible stances. Anyone could come along and tip you over like you're a bunch of cows." He walked up to the leader and shoved his shoulder, causing him to stagger backward. "See? You've gotta bend your knees and spread your weight out." Sora demonstrated hira for their benefit.

"You little punk!" the leader snarled, shoving Sora in retaliation. Sora's torso bent slightly, but he didn't lose his balance like the other had. The four flunkies were looking at him with interest now and even the leader seemed to reconsider him.

"And those punches," Sora continued. "Defenseless old ladies are about the only thing you could hurt with those sissy taps." For a moment, Sora looked past the creeps at said defenseless old lady. Her green eyes with teardrop-shaped pupils watched him thoughtfully, making him wonder how defenseless she actually was. Still grinning, Sora gave her a subtle wink and turned back to his 'pupils.'

"A good punch comes from the legs," he instructed, switching to ichimonji. "The force behind it comes from shifting your weight around...like this!" He stepped forward without warning, clocking the leader square on the temple just enough to knock him out cold.

"Why you..." the first to recover growled, swinging at Sora's head. Sora slid out of the way while knocking the fist down, then countered by bringing his shuto, his cupped hand, down on the guy's neck...and an artery. He went out like a light. Two down, three to go.

"Don't get me started on those kicks," Sora drawled, thoroughly enjoying himself. "You have to follow through." He brought his foot into a stomach and, instead of stopping his foot at his target, he imagined kicking through it, swinging his leg forward even after the initial impact. The jerk sailed through the air, his back connecting with a tree. "Works well for sports, too!"

One of the remaining two gangsters got the bright idea of grabbing a tree branch from the ground to use as a club. "I'll bash your brains in, you little bastard!" He raised the branch above his head with both hands and charged.

"My parents are happily married, thank you," Sora fibbed, opting for the easy answer instead of the complicated one. It wasn't like his father had abandoned them on purpose. ...Okay, so Sora didn't actually know how his father had died, but he seriously doubted it was suicide.

Sora turned his back into his assailant, hooking the other's arm with his own and using his leg to throw the dirtbag off balance. Bending at the waist, Sora easily rolled the thug over his back, throwing him to the ground and disarming him in the process. The creep gasped for air, winded.

The final attacker managed to grab Sora's shirt and started grappling with him. Sora placed his right leg behind the guy's right calf, ready to trip him, and lowered his center of gravity. It was a simple matter then of twisting his torso, dragging the punk with him. With his foot positioned to destroy balance and his hip positioned as a pivot point, Sora had the wannabe tough guy sprawled face down on the ground in seconds, an arm twisted behind him in Sora's grasp and Sora's knee in his back.

"I can do this all day!" Sora said cheerily as the four previous victims of his martial skills groaned and began waking. They gave him frightened looks and scampered off. Satisfied, Sora released his captive, letting him stagger away, wheezing. "Let's do this again sometime, fellas," he called after them.

The flunkies kept running, not noticing Kairi on the side of the road where she'd been watching the scene anxiously. The leader was a bit bolder. He grabbed Kairi's arm on his way past, an evil grin on his face and a few sentences – most likely vulgar – on his lips. Kairi just eyed him in disgust before twisting out of his grip and kneeing him where the sun don't shine.

"I see you met my girlfriend," Sora laughed loudly. "She fights a bit dirtier than I do." Kairi frowned at him in disapproval for his gloating, but triumph gleamed in her eyes. Grinning wryly, Sora suddenly pitied anyone that would try to kidnap her now.

Chuckling, he approached the woman and knelt beside her as she pushed herself onto her hands. "Easy, ma'am," Sora soothed, placing gentle hands on her shoulders. He eyed the large, blue bruise on her cheek angrily. The rest of her injuries were hidden under a long, white dress trimmed with blue. "They roughed you up pretty bad."

Kairi joined them as the woman lifted her head to smile kindly, brushing Sora's arm with her long, impossibly soft hair. "I'm fine," she tried to assure them. "I just bruise more easily than humans." Her face reminded Sora of Saïx's canine-like features, even down to the slightly pointed ears. "Thank you for getting rid of those boys." Sorrow stole over her features. "It is good to know a few valiant souls still exist in the universe."

"It was nothing, ma'am," Sora said sheepishly. The look on the woman's face said otherwise, but she let his denial stand.

"Please, call me Karai," she said instead. Sora groaned, earning a peculiar look from Karai.

Kairi shook her head in amusement. "What Sora means is that we're pleased to meet you, Karai," she explained apologetically. "It's just that my name is Kairi and he is easily confused."

"I see," Karai chuckled, hissing slightly in pain. Both kids muttered their concern, but she waved them off again.

Sora returned to the conversation. "It wouldn't be so bad if we hadn't just visited Kiara," he argued in his defense, pulling out a pity-producing pout.

"Imagine if all three of us were together," Karai teased.

"No thanks," Sora said, shuddering. Kairi giggled at his discomfort.

"Well, it has been my pleasure, as well," said Karai as she got to her feet, "but I must–" She stopped midsentence as her leg buckled, unable to hold her weight. Sora and Kairi each grabbed an arm and lowered her gently back to the earth.

"You're not going anywhere until we take a look at you," Kairi asserted, carefully pulling up the dress to reveal Karai's legs. They were mottled with bruises, but one had a large gash across the shin. Ignoring the curious, dark blue blood oozing from the cut, Sora placed his hand over the wound, whispering a Curaga.

Karai looked at her healed skin in amazement, then up at Sora in disbelief. Their eyes locked. Understanding passed between them and they recognized each other. The Shasonai and the Master of Light.

"You feel it, don't you?" Karai whispered, a tremor in her voice.

"Yes," Sora whispered back. "This darkness...I've never seen it manifest like this before."

"And I've never seen anything like what you did," Karai breathed in wonder. "I've seen incredible works of technology and miraculous acts of God, but never magic."

"I think your world is a bit different than the others," Sora pondered. "Things work a bit differently here."

Kairi had watched the exchange with confusion, but now she hissed, "Sora! What are you doing?"

"It's alright, Kairi," he assured her. Karai was a servant of the world order, like Roz. She may not have known it in those terms, but Sora knew...somehow. "We can tell her."

"But–"

"Trust me," Sora pleaded, gazing into Kairi's deep, blue eyes. They gazed back with fearful uncertainty. He smiled at her lovingly and a smile slowly began to form on Kairi's face as well.

Finally, she whispered, "Always."

Sora scooped her hands up in his and gave them a quick kiss. "Thank you."

Karai watched their exchange patiently, smiling at their sweetness. "Tell me what?" she wondered curiously when she felt it was appropriate to rejoin the conversation.

"We're not from this world," Sora professed, receiving a not-so-surprised nod from Karai. "Neither is this darkness. That's why we're here, to get rid of it for you." He looked into Karai's eyes, letting her glimpse the fire of his determination. "But we can't do it alone."

A small smile flickered across her face. "I believe I know just the people to help you." She paused with a troubled expression. "At least, they would have been able to before. I'm afraid this foul air has gotten to most of them. They can't beat it by themselves."

"Well then, we'll just have to change that," Sora replied brightly. "Helping others comes before asking others for help."

Her smile softened in gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered. "It makes my heart weep to see what's become of my daughter and nephew's friends. I will be forever grateful if you can help them heal."

"There's no way we could ignore anyone who needs us," Kairi said, smiling gently. "It's in our nature to care."

Karai's eyes brightened with hope. "Such pure hearts," she marveled. "I believe you _do_ have the power to save our world." With her head, she nodded down the road, the direction she had been headed before the thugs showed up. "My house is just ahead. There was a memorial service at the church behind us and I stayed a bit longer to visit with my brother and his wife."

The two teens began helping Karai to limp along. "I still can't believe they attacked you in the open like that," Kairi spat in disgust.

"It's this air," Karai explained. "In some, like those boys, the petulance is strong enough to reduce them to violent beasts. In most, though, it just creates a sense of indifference."

"You mean," Kairi whispered, horrified, "people just ignore what's happening?"

"Yes," Karai murmured sadly, bowing her head. "My daughter, nephew, and their friends worked so hard to rid this world of the darkness that had seeped into it. They succeeded in their task and, for a time, there was peace." As much as she tried to fight it, despair stole over Karai's face. "But several months ago, _this..._" She gestured around her, her arm sweeping everything in general. "...happened."

"Don't worry," Sora assured Karai with a confident grin, "we'll help you unhappen it. That's our thing."

"Sora," Kairi giggled. "That's not a word."

His grin grew wider. "It is in Soran," he professed, trying for serious and succeeding...somewhat.

"You're such a goof!" Kairi chortled, falling into a bout of laughter. The serious look on Sora's face faltered and he fell victim to the side-splitting mayhem as well.

Karai began chuckling quietly at their antics. "Your cheerfulness is so infectious," she observed with a large smile on her face. "You are truly blessed to have such a gift for spreading hope and joy." Her smile became warm with gratitude. "It staves off the depression that assails me."

Sora's heart twisted with grief. Though Karai's features were alight with the new hope they'd given her, they still bore some haggard remnants of the despair she'd experienced. It seemed...wrong that such an expression should be allowed to cross her face. _I'll right this wrong_, Sora promised.

"If you don't mind me asking..." Karai began hesitantly, a sheepish look threatening to surface. When both kids gave her encouraging smiles, she asked, "Are you human?"

The sincerity of her question caught Sora off guard. He concentrated on erasing the surprise from his face. "Of course, we are," Kairi chuckled incredulously, pulling off a fabulous blend of confused and amiable. "Why do you ask?"

The sheepishness broke through. "You seem more than human," Karai admitted.

Sora let out a peal of laughter. "Even humans say that about us," he grinned crookedly. "You understand..."

"Yes," Karai sighed wearily, "that I understand." She raised her eyes skyward, a long, deep history gazing out of them. "Some just have greater destinies than others."

"So, what about you?" Sora asked, idly examining the stars with her. So many.... Was it possible to help them all? "After seeing humans that look stranger than you and non-humans that look less strange than you, I've just given up on guessing."

The woman shook her head quickly to clear it. "I am half-human and half-N'Darie, the native race of N'Daria."

"N'Daria?" Kairi repeated politely.

"Yes, it is a world about four days hyperspace travel from here," Karai explained. "I was born and raised there for the first thirty-some years of my life. This world is called Earth. I settled here with my brother and husband a little over thirty years ago."

Sora and Kairi both halted in surprise. "How old are you?" Kairi blurted. Sora just stared at Kairi in complete disbelief. Why was she worried about age? They had more important concerns at the moment.

Karai had expected a reaction like Kairi's. "I am 65."

Kairi's jaw dropped. "You don't look nearly that old."

Another expected reaction. "The N'Darie age more slowly than humans. One year of aging for a human is two for an N'Darie." She paused thoughtfully. "I am something between that, so I am closer to a 50-year-old human."

Sora finally found his voice as they began moving again. "You're missing the big picture," he stressed. "Worlds aren't supposed to be connected."

Karai looked at him in alarm. "They're not?"

"No," Sora moaned. "The worlds were disconnected to keep the darkness from overrunning everything." He dragged his free hand through his spiky mane. This was bad. "When did it happen?"

"That is a difficult question to answer..." Karai responded uneasily. "Things didn't happen all at once."

"Okay," Sora grumbled in agitation. "When did Earth first send people off the planet?"

"About eighty years ago," Karai replied promptly. "They began a ten-year launching period of sleeper ships in response to a large meteor shower that caused planet-wide damage."

Sora sucked in a quick breath. That meant the barriers around this world were gone! No wonder it was having so much trouble with the darkness. "What about N'Daria?" Sora asked urgently. "Was there a meteor shower like that before the N'Darie began space traveling?"

Karai frowned, "As a matter of fact, there was. It was just before we made contact with the Trezena." Her frown deepened. "It is still quite a mystery to my people. That such a calamity was not detailed in the prophecies...well, it confounds all to this very day."

"Prophecies?" Kairi wondered.

"Trezena?" Sora groaned. _Another_ race?

"Why don't we wait to continue this conversation until we are inside?" Karai suggested, nodding towards a dark green house nestled among tall trees. Sora had been so wrapped up in their conversation that he hadn't noticed the wood thinning. "That is my house over there. You are welcome to come in and rest for a while. The one's I told you about are also staying here."

Karai took them through her house to the kitchen in a round-about way, avoiding what looked to be the living room. The air near it was dark and sorrowful.

"Whew!" Sora whistled, dragging his hand through his hair. "I see what you mean."

"Indeed," Karai muttered sadly, setting into a chair at the kitchen table. "I don't want them to know what happened. That will only make matters worse." Sora nodded as he began searching for something to clean up Karai's legs with, as well as bandages for the freshly healed gash, just as a precaution.

"Mother?" a soft voice called. A young woman stood in one of the doorways. She looked mostly human, except for a slight point in her ears and a green shimmer to her black hair. Unfortunately, Kairi had lifted Karai's dress at that exact moment and the woman's eyes widened. "Mother!" she cried urgently, rushing to Karai's side.

"Karai? Malae?" an aging male voice called from an adjacent room. Sora brought an armful of rags, a bowl of ice, a bowl of water, and some antiseptic to the table.

"Mother is hurt," the woman responded more calmly, immediately snatching up a rag and wetting it. She gently began washing the scrapes and cuts that Sora hadn't healed, Kairi following behind her with the antiseptic. Sora filled another rag with ice and handed it to Karai to put on her face.

"_What?_" A tan man with graying black hair and dark eyes rushed into the kitchen. His eyes darkened further when he saw Karai. "What happened?"

"Don't look so worried, Tony," Karai soothed, trying to wave away his concerns. However, Malae and Kairi had moved on to Karai's arms and held them captive. "I've been through worse than this." This line of reasoning did little to satisfy the man. "Besides, I've been under the watchful care of Sora and Kairi, here." She nodded to the teens. "Sora, Kairi, allow me to introduce my husband, Tony –" The man bobbed his head sharply out of tension. "– and my daughter, Malae."

"It was those boys, wasn't it," Tony accused in a clipped tone, pacing agitatedly. "Harassing you with words wasn't enough for them, so now they're beating you up?" Without warning, he punched the wall, leaving a sizeable dent. He quickly took several deep breaths to calm himself, already looking ashamed of his outburst.

Karai just sighed sadly at Tony's temper. It dawned on Sora that this might not have been normal behavior for her husband, but the effects of the darkness. He leaned back casually into his trademark pose, smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry," he said. "We made sure those boys won't come back for a long time." He grinned confidently.

"How does your chest feel?" Kairi asked as she and Malae finished with Karai's arms.

Gingerly, Karai felt her torso, wincing every so often. "There is some bruising, but nothing feels broken," she reported.

Kairi offered a radiant smile. "Well, that's lucky. You'll be better in a jiffy then."

"Pfft!" Sora scoffed. "Luck had nothing to do with it. They weren't following through." Kairi met his eyes and they both began chortling. Even Karai produced a chuckle or two. This seemed to ease the tension in the room and brought a soft smile to Malae's face.

Tony's face had relaxed into a more kindly expression, but he was studying Sora and Kairi intently, wonder and awe in his eyes. "Too bad more people don't have your attitudes," he expressed.

"My thoughts exactly," Sora grinned, winking.

Tony quickly shared a moment with his wife, then addressed his daughter. "Malae, why don't you go up to your room for a while?" he suggested firmly.

Malae gazed evenly at her father, wanting to know more, but realizing she wasn't going to get it. Instead, she rose calmly to her feet, saying, "Yes, Father." Without another word, she headed for the stairs.

"Tell Jocea to do the same," he added as an afterthought.

"Yes, Father."

As soon as Malae was out of ear shot, Tony asked Karai, "Are you sure they can help?"

"Positive," Karai stated with powerful conviction. "Sit," she said to all three. "There is much to talk about."

For the next several minutes, she talked about the N'Darie prophecies, ancient writings that were constantly debated on N'Daria. The most important of these were about the Shasonai (Karai) and the Sh'sanon, the saviors that would banish the darkness forever. A war broke out, with humans and the N'Darie allied against three races collectively called the Trezena. Karai, along with her closest friends and family, worked together to defeat Dehtar, a being called a Shoac that threatened their galaxy and the true enemy of the war. During this time, she married Tony and gave birth to her first daughter, Vindeflei. Her brother, S'tahn, married a human woman named Violet. Violet also gave birth at the time to a son named K'nsolear who would become the Sh'sanon. Sadly, Violet died obtaining the peace that came from Dehtar's defeat. The survivors settled on Earth to await the time when K'nsolear would realize his destiny. Karai and Tony had two more children, Malae and Jocea in that order.

"And that," Karai finished wearily, "is my chapter in this story. K'nsolear's chapter began shortly after his father's death." With a jolt, Sora remembered why Karai had stayed behind at the church; she was visiting her brother and his wife. Their _graves_.

Sounds of feet in the hallway and a door closing made them all look up. Two sets of feet dropped out, but the remaining one trudged wearily in their direction. Moments later, a young man walked into the kitchen, a tired hand over his gentle blue eyes. Leaning against the doorframe like that, completely unmoving, his pale skin and platinum blond hair looked like marble. With his perfectly sculpted features, he could easily fit in with the statues at the Colosseum. Heck, if he wandered up Mount Olympus, he could pass for a demigod, like Herc.

"Pull up a chair," Tony said kindly. Sora and Kairi scooted apart to allow the newcomer to slide an extra seat between them. The poor guy was too distraught to register that he was sitting next to two strangers.

"How are they doing?" Karai inquired gently.

"Not good," the man murmured, "but I expected as much. Freedom Day." He sighed wearily. "Any other time, it would be a joyful occasion, but with the way things are, it just reminds them of all we've lost."

Tony teared up for a moment before he managed to swallow his sorrow and Karai...

"Karai, you're bleeding again!" Kairi gasped in alarm.

"I know," the woman sniffed, catching the thin trickle of blood on her good cheek with the ice rag. "The N'Darie cry their own blood, as do I."

The man glanced up at her in time to see the bruise revealed. "Karai," he cried softly in concern, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Sora and Kairi made sure of that." Briefly, she explained what happened.

With a horrified look, the man finally noticed the teens on either side of him. "Forgive me," he pleaded. They smiled kindly at him to say that they understood his oversight. "I'm Justin." He offered his hand to each of them. "Thank you for all your help."

"It was nothing," Kairi told him casually, but Justin seemed to believe that as much as Karai had.

"Who left?" Tony interjected.

"David and Sharon," Justin replied. "J'nel snapped something in L'Guan that no one understood, but we got the gist of it." He sighed wearily. "Some bull about them not being able to relate because they still had a family, they had old lives to go back to, yahta, yahta." More quietly, he murmured, "Chris got worked in there, too."

Justin bowed his head briefly to hide the expression of anguish and heartbreak that flickered over his features, an expression that Sora knew all too well thanks to his mother. The pain of lost love. Sora's heart twisted and he placed a comforting hand on Justin's shoulder even as Kairi gathered one of Justin's hands. The young man started, glancing from one to the other in complete surprise. Under their combined effort, though, he quickly relaxed and smiled gratefully at them.

"Anyway," he continued, his mood lifted somewhat, but his mind distracted, "it was easy to see that Irene and Max had been thinking the same thing. That's when David and Sharon decided to leave to give the others some time to cool off." A pondering look crossed his face. He pushed his chair away from the table so he could see Sora and Kairi at the same time, gazing at them with the same look Tony had given them. "Who _are_ you?" he finally asked.

Sora and Kairi both grinned at him. "Oh," Sora replied airily, "just a couple of kids who want to help."

Justin raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You are not _just_ a couple of kids," he deadpanned.

"Like you and your friends are not _just_ a group of friends," Kairi responded evenly. "But we do want to help."

"Unless you don't want us to," Sora added slyly, grinning smugly when Justin held up his hands in defeat.

"Okay, you win," Justin admitted with a laugh. "You can help." Both kids nodded in satisfaction.

Karai had a rather amused look on her face and Tony was practically beaming at them. "I was just about to tell them about K'nsolear," Karai mentioned, "but perhaps that would be better told by you."

"I'd be glad to," Justin said with a smile.

"One thing first," Sora interrupted. "What's L'Guan?"

"It is the language of N'Daria," replied Karai.

Sora's soft 'Oh' caused Justin to chuckle gently. "Well, it started with one of Chris's protests..."

Christian, better known as Chris, was the founder of the Freedom Fighters and Justin's boyfriend. He, along with his best friend J'nelefe of N'Daria, and another friend named Max, met K'nsolear and Vindeflei at one of their protests emphasizing universal love and acceptance. K'nsolear and Vindeflei were quickly accepted into the group and even helped J'nel and his human girlfriend Irene decide to get married, despite N'Darie culture. And so it was that Chris, Justin, J'nel, Irene, Max, K'nsolear, and Vindeflei became friends.

But, it didn't last. The Freedom Fighters were, after all, a political group first. They staged a large rally protesting the actions of an oppressive government.

"The military showed up," Justin whispered, his voice hitching. "But Chris wouldn't back down, so they shot him." Sora gasped loudly and Kairi cried out like Justin's pain was her own. Taking a deep breath, Justin smiled at them again and continued.

The friends fell into despair and only managed to pull through the long days because of K'nsolear and Vindeflei's vigilance. In order to heal, they decided to travel the countryside, helping anyone that found them, and by helping others, they helped themselves. David and Sharon were behind the first door they knocked on and when the friends left, the two siblings decided to go with them.

They helped many people this way, but in time, K'nsolear felt a pull on his soul that tugged him elsewhere. He returned to his Aunt Karai for guidance. That's when she revealed to him that she was the Shasonai and he was the Sh'sanon. Another Shoac had come to the galaxy and this time it was K'nsolear who would face it.

The Shoac, Harfet, was not interested in fighting K'nsolear, unlike Dehtar, who'd dueled with Karai. No, Harfet had a much more effective means of defeating the Sh'sanon. The Shoacs were an ancient and powerful race, immortal (though not indestructible) and brilliant. They had the knowledge to create galaxies, planets, and even life itself. Harfet was the one who created the Trezena. He created N'Daria and the N'Darie. He wrote the N'Darie prophecies, and to the N'Darie, he was God.

Harfet had also created Earth, but humans evolved there without his knowledge. These humans were a disease to the Shoacs, slowly draining their life force and weakening them. To stop it, Harfet had to destroy his galaxy and recycle the life force in it. But, he'd been weakened enough that he couldn't do it in one fell swoop. Instead, he had to do it manually, one person at a time, at least until he regained his strength.

That was the purpose of the Shasonai and the Sh'sanon, to stop the Shoacs from destroying the galaxy. Harfet realized his own actions were dictated by the prophecy, so he fathered a son on Earth, a person outside the prophecies to do his bidding for him, the general of the very military that had killed Chris. K'nsolear nearly gave up, then, but he came to a realization of his own.

"_My_ God created humans on Earth," Justin explained reverently. "_My_ God was the one guiding the prophecies and _my_ God was with K'nsolear."

This gave K'nsolear the strength to do what needed to be done. The problem ran deeper than just an egotistical Shoac trying to be God and his son bent on destroying mankind. The problem was that people were turning a blind eye to this. K'nsolear knew what he had to do; he had to turn himself in, alone. But, even though he had to do it alone, he still needed help from his friends. Vindeflei was shot giving him the help he needed.

And, at the very end, K'nsolear _did_ defeat Harfet and his son by sacrificing his own life.

"Things went smoothly after that," Justin told them. "The general was killed in the uprising that came after K'nsolear's execution, the government reformed, and people finally managed to shake off the darkness that had infected the world." He sighed. "Today marks the anniversary of K'nsolear's death. It's been named Freedom Day in honor of Chris, Vindeflei, and K'nsolear."

"I see," Sora whispered quietly. "Today is so much worse because it takes their deaths and throws them in your faces."

Justin nodded sadly. "That _is_ part of it," he confirmed, "but the salt in the wound is that it seems like their deaths meant nothing."

"Because the world is still infected," Kairi guessed softly.

"Right," Justin confirmed again. "We tried to fight for everyone, to help the people K'nsolear had died to save, but it was hard enough to fight for ourselves." His fists clenched in frustration. "It's different than before. This time it feels like something tangible, like it has a life of its own." A guilty look crossed his face. "David and Sharon _are _faring better than the others, and it _is_ most likely because of the very reasons J'nel named, but..." His face hardened in determination. "I promised K'nsolear I would take care of them, and that's what I'm going to do." He thumped on his leg for emphasis.

"Right then," Sora enthused, standing. "Let's go meet 'em."

"Allow me to introduce you," Karai said from the doorway. The three of them jumped, not having noticed Karai and Tony's exit while they were talking. Seeing her face was also a shock; the bruise was no longer visible.

"How did that heal so fast?" Sora blurted.

"Don't be silly!" Kairi scoffed. "It's just foundation." With a flash of comprehension, Sora also noticed that the rest of Karai's injuries were also completely covered by her clothes.

"Indeed," Karai said with a small chuckle. Sora just rubbed his head sheepishly. "This way," she beckoned, leading them straight for the source of the heartache. More loudly, she said, "Let's go to the living room. I have other guests at the moment, but I'm sure they would love to meet you."

Sora looked at Karai strangely and started to say something, but Kairi shoved an elbow into his side. "That's a great idea, Karai," Justin spoke up in that same loud tone. "That is, if you don't mind?" He gazed at the two teens insistently, nodding his head towards the living room.

"Not at all," Kairi responded, also raising her voice. She elbowed him again, "Right?"

"Of course," Sora finally caught on, trying not to cough. It was a show for whoever was in the living room. No need to distress the already distressed.

Reaching the threshold, Karai held out an arm to draw them into the room. Kairi gave Sora a slightly apprehensive look, but he banished it with a grin. Taking her hand in his, he confidently walked into the living room, ready to take on the challenge before them.

Smiling in that gentle way of hers, Karai addressed the three mournful people. "Everyone, this is Sora and Kairi," she announced. "They saw me walking alone and graciously decided to escort me home."

"Of course," Kairi smiled radiantly. "No one should be out alone at this time of day."

Justin walked around them. "Sora, Kairi, I'd like you to meet my friends, J'nel, Irene, and Max."

J'nel's features were much like Karai's, though his hair was a brighter green and the angles in his face were sharper, giving him more of a feline than canine look. The tension in his body only made those sharp angles more obvious. He had an arm around Irene, who stared at them balefully with dim black eyes. Her coal black hair fell to her waist and her skin was a cross between Tia's dark color and Jasmine's olive color. Max reminded Sora more of Shang, with his short, black hair and dark, slanted eyes, though the shape of his face was off. It was somewhere between round and long, and filled with anger.

It was a strange group of faces, especially once Justin's statuesque face was tossed in the mix. Sora would have been very interested in them, if not for the one thing the faces had in common: a world-weary despair.

"Please excuse us if we aren't that cheerful," Justin continued as the four of them found seats. "It's been a rough couple of years for us."

"That's no problem," Kairi said, the smile still firmly on her face. "Sora's cheerful enough for all of us. It can get annoying at times, but he's so goofy that I keep him around for the entertainment value." She ruffled his hair playfully, a teasing twinkle in her eye.

"Entertainment?" Sora cried, pretending to be deeply affronted. "I'm not _just_ entertainment." He flashed his trademark grin. "I'm headliner material." The exhausted faces relaxed a bit at their joking, and Irene even chuckled softly. An idea came to him, causing his grin to stretch even further. "Well, if I'm the entertainment, I guess I'd better start entertaining you. What did one eye say to the other?" He crossed his eyes. "Between you and me, something smells."

Kairi giggled pleasantly. "Told you he was goofy."

"Just give me a chance to warm up," Sora said, holding his palm out to her. He stood and began doing some stretches, causing more chuckling. "Okay," he said after a final head roll. "How do you make a sausage roll?" He waited for a moment, letting them blink at him vacantly. "Push it down a hill." That caused some groans.

"Did you hear about the man who lost his left side?" Sora tried. "He's _all right_ now." Justin and Irene were chuckling with more energy now and Karai was smiling in that serene way of hers, but J'nel and Max still had frowns on their faces. He _would_ get them to smile.

"How do you catch a squirrel?" He watched them expectantly. This was sure to get them going. "Climb a tree and act like a nut." Irene actually laughed at that, this lovely tinkling laugh, especially when Sora demonstrated the 'technique.'

"I don't see what's so funny," J'nel huffed. Agreement filled Max's face as well.

"They're puns," Irene sighed. "They're funny because the words have double meanings."

"Z'rae!" J'nel frowned, crossing his arms. "I haven't grasped all the nuances of this language, yet. How do you expect me to get such word play?"

"And Max is too literal to find those jokes funny," Justin said with a grin. "It's the price of genius, I suppose." His words caused Max to crack a smile.

Sora was startled into silence. "Okay...," he stalled, searching through all his jokes for ones that J'nel would understand and Max would appreciate. So far, he had a big, fat goose egg.

"I've got one for you, J'nel," Justin began. "How do you tune two begantis?"

"Began_tin_!" J'nel stressed. "You make plurals with an 'n' in L'Guan." He sneered down arrogantly at Justin, which was a six inch difference at the least. "Ignorant human." Kairi gasped at J'nel's harsh words, but Justin didn't seem offended. In fact, he chuckled, and J'nel joined soon after.

"Anyway," Justin continued. "How do you tune two began_tin_?"

J'nel snorted. "You don't."

Justin smiled brightly. "Shoot one," he answered simply. J'nel burst into loud guffaws.

"That's horrible, Jay," Irene chided with a giggle.

"But it's true!" J'nel spluttered.

"It's still horrible."

Justin held his hands in front of him in defeat. "Okay, Irene, you win," he submitted. "Will a violin joke be just compensation?"

Irene sighed melodramatically. "I guess," she drawled, her eyes growing brighter.

Laughing at her antics, Justin said, "What's the difference between the first and second violins?" J'nel and Irene both waited eagerly for the answer. "Two beats and a half-step."

A new laugh joined the others. Finally, _finally_, Max had joined in the fun. "Hey!" J'nel blurted. "We can't leave Max out. Who knows some science jokes?"

"Oh, I know one!" Kairi interjected. "Two hydrogens walk out of a bar. One turns to the other and says, 'I think I left my electron in there.' The other asks, 'Are you sure?' and the first replies, 'Yes, I'm _positive_.'"

Sora resisted the urge to frown in confusion. He definitely did _not _pay any attention in science class. But they'd finally managed to find some jokes that Max found funny, so he was just going to go along with it.

"I've got a better one," Justin challenged good-naturedly. "Why does hamburger have lower energy than steak?"

Max quirked a smile at him. "Because it's in its _ground_ state," he finished. They all laughed more at Justin's crestfallen expression than the joke itself.

Straightening in her seat, Irene said in a lofty tone, "Well I have a joke that blows all of yours out of the water." She paused, waiting for everyone's undivided attention. "An electron is zooming around the universe, as electrons normally do, when he gets pulled over by a cop particle. The cop asks the electron, 'Do you have any idea how fast you were going?' and the electron replies, 'No, but I know exactly where I am.'"

Her friends burst out laughing while she preened proudly. Sora just glanced sideways at Kairi, who shrugged, looking just as stumped as him. "How old are you?" Irene questioned, seeing their confusion.

"Fifteen," Kairi stated while Sora added, "Almost sixteen."

"I thought so," Irene nodded in satisfaction. "You're not old enough to have learned it in school." She winked at them. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll learn it soon enough. Until then, be happy that the world makes sense."

"But it doesn't make sense _now_," Sora complained.

"Oh, just wait," J'nel said ominously. "You'll learn how little sense the world actually makes."

"Let's not go there, _please_," Justin begged, a pained look on his face. His friends chuckled at his discomfort.

Sora's heart swelled as he realized what they'd accomplished. Gone was the exhausted depression. The faces were still lined with knowledge and experience beyond their years, but their spirits had been lifted above the despair. With a bright grin, he squeezed Kairi's hand. She looked up at him, an equally joyful expression on her face.

Then, he turned to meet Karai's watchful eyes. She smiled at him calmly, a smile that expressed her complete trust and belief in them. Now it was time to make sure that the depression never came back.

Something in Sora's eyes must have betrayed his heart, because J'nel whispered wonderingly, "A nasten ta phfala." His words weren't understood, but his tone was. The friends turned to J'nel in surprise, then directed their gazes to Sora and Kairi.

"We want to heal this world," Sora proclaimed, leveling his serious, determined gaze to meet theirs. They all gasped at him, perhaps at his sudden mood swing, perhaps at the depth of his perception, or perhaps for another reason entirely. Either way, they were not prepared for his declaration.

Irene was the first to recover, smiling at them appreciatively, but with skepticism in her eyes. "You're both wonderful people with wonderful gifts," she professed, "but I doubt you can help with that."

"K'nsolear was just a man with a gift," Kairi pointed out softly. There were many sharp intakes from Kairi's boldness. At first, Sora couldn't believe she was pushing them so soon, but he quickly discovered that his fears were unfounded. In fact, this seemed to be the right argument to make.

"What can _you_ do?" Max questioned urgently. He stared into Sora's face hungrily, not yet daring to put his hopes in the boy but wanting it so badly.

"We can help you get rid of this darkness," Sora asserted firmly. "Listen," he stressed. They had to understand. "This wasn't supposed to happen. It should have ended with K'nsolear." He wasn't sure how he knew the things he was saying, but in his heart he knew they were true. "Some outside force is meddling with this planet, and I just _know_ if we can stop it, then the world will go back to normal." He locked eyes with each of them in turn. "But we need your help."

"It seems too good to be true," Irene muttered sadly.

A fierce fire flared in Justin's eyes, a fire that was vaguely familiar to Sora, and not in the sense of being kindred to his own. "I believe in them," Justin professed with a strength that made a shiver run down Sora's spine.

"As do I," Karai agreed. Even though her expression was tranquil as always, there was a certain power in it as well.

"Pu, vir re ch'tan," J'nel said uncertainly.

Karai turned the full force of her tranquility on J'nel. "Galan ye k've V'xul en ma, J'nelefe?" she asked.

"V'yeva, A galan!" he gasped, affronted.

"Fen P'shat en te V'xul A k've en k'lin," she instructed gently. J'nel dropped his eyes in shame, still looking unconvinced. Sighing, she addressed all of them, "You don't have to decide tonight. No one is leaving until tomorrow." She said this in a way that made Sora forget the meaning of disobedience.

"It's your decision," Sora added. "You don't have to come, but we're going to try regardless." He didn't enjoy playing the guilt-trip card, but they should know the lengths they were going to take.

"I want to come," a younger, female voice said stubbornly. A moment later, a young girl that looked to be Sora and Kairi's age stepped into the living room. She looked almost exactly like a young Malae, except for her hair. Instead of the green shimmer all over her head, she had one solid lock of green hair among the black tresses at her right temple.

"Jocea!" Karai frowned in disapproval. "How long have you been listening?"

"Since you sent Malae upstairs," Jocea replied, her chin jutting out ever so slightly. In her, Sora saw the same serenity that Karai had, but it also competed with the rebellious nature of being the youngest child. It seemed the rebellion was winning out over the serenity at the moment.

"Jocea," Karai said sternly, "you aren't going with them."

"Why not?" the girl argued persistently. "I'm older than them." She gestured at Sora and Kairi.

"You are nineteen," countered her mother. "Comparatively, you are younger than them."

"By a matter of months!"

Sora watched the mother and daughter debate without listening to them. It wasn't really his place to intercede, his thoughts reflected in the others' silence. He turned inward to sort out his stronger-than-hunches, still thinking of Jocea's decision. When he imagined her joining them, the picture seemed complete.

"I think...," Sora said slowly, jolting Jocea and Karai into silence, "she's supposed to come with us." He furrowed his brow, staring off into the distance. "I don't know why but...it just _feels_ right."

Returning to the present, he focused on Karai. The older woman had such a heartbroken expression on her face that Sora nearly caved. He suddenly understood Karai's reluctance; she'd already lost one daughter and she didn't want to lose another. But, she steeled herself to do what was necessary.

"Very well," Karai conceded.

"Don't worry," Kairi assured Karai with a brilliant smile. "We won't let anything happen to her."

"Thank you," Karai breathed in gratitude. "Now, enough of this weighty conversation. Let us lighten the mood."

"I know just the thing," Justin said. He crossed the room to an instrument case and pulled out a violin. With a mischievous grin, he raised it to his chin and began playing a light, lilting tune.

"Jay!" Irene pouted with a laugh. "You know I can't resist that music."

"You're right," Justin teased. "I do know."

A smile returned to Karai's face. "Please, if you want to dance, do it out in the backyard and not in the living room."

"Dance?" Kairi perked up. The excited look in her eyes made Sora want to groan. He was going to be stuck as her partner, whether he liked it or not.

Irene's face split into a wide grin. "Yup," she chirped, "Scottish country dancing. Ever heard of it?"

"No."

Her grin grew even wider. "Want to learn?"

Kairi produced a grin to match Irene's. "Do I ever!"

"Excellent!" With one hand, Irene dragged J'nel off the couch and with the other, began towing a protesting Justin. Kairi eagerly followed, lugging Sora behind her, nearly bowling Max over on his way out.

The backyard was large and lush with great climbing trees spaced far enough apart that they didn't block the moonlight. Fireflies winked merrily in the balmy twilight. But what made the night truly surreal was the large presence Sora could feel around them. No...it wasn't one large presence, it was many smaller ones. A ghostly audience, of that Sora had no doubt .

Irene started by explaining the basic steps, then positioned them into rows. Properly, there should have been three pairs of couples, but they would have to make do with two. Once Irene felt that they had the figures down, they turned to Justin and waited for him to start playing.

Sora sucked in a quick hiss when he noticed an addition to their party: the man in white. He was standing next to Justin, watching him with a loving smile on his face. Even though the sun had set, he still glowed brilliantly, and up close, Sora realized that he was slightly transparent. _Chris...?_

As if he'd heard Sora's errant thought, the man looked up with a crooked grin. He puckered his lips and placed a finger over them in a silent shushing gesture. A flute appeared in his hands, almost like it was a Keyblade being summoned. Chris snorted soundlessly and lifted the flute to his mouth.

For a while, Sora danced to the sounds of Justin's violin, accompanied by Chris's flute. If anyone else heard it, they didn't say. Shortly, though, Sora excused himself, much to Kairi's displeasure. Pouting, she grabbed Jocea from the sideline and coerced the shyer girl into taking her place, while Kairi took Sora's place.

Sora was content to watch from his comfortable spot leaning against the house. Justin was playing a song that apparently didn't require a flute, because Chris had lowered his instrument and was gazing at his love tenderly. Slowly, he raised a hand to hover over Justin's cheek, like he wanted to brush it, but couldn't. Justin closed his eyes and shivered, a peaceful look crossing his face.

"You see them, don't you?"

"Huh?" Sora grunted, startled out of his reverie. Karai had moved next to him without him noticing.

"We can all sense that we're not alone," she said prophetically, eyeing him with curious reverence. "But you can see them, can't you?"

Sora bent his head towards hers. "Just Chris," he muttered in a low voice, so no one else would hear him. Triumph lit up her eyes. Sora thought he knew what Karai was getting at; she and K'nsolear had both had visions like this. "But stuff like this happens to me all the time, no matter where I am," he explained quickly. "The prophecies are a part of your worlds; I'm not. I'm just here to fix what wasn't supposed to happen."

She gazed at him intensely for a long time. Finally, she looked away. "You will see, in time," she told him lightly. "Good night." She disappeared into the house.

Shortly after, the friends decided that it was time to head in as well. Chris watched them go with the look of someone who was sorry to see the fun ending. His eyes found Sora's once more and his lips unmistakably formed the words, 'Thank you.' Sora grinned wryly. Like he was really going to sit there and let them keep suffering. Cracking another crooked grin, Chris gave the salute-wave again and vanished into the night.

With a sigh, Sora headed inside. Once the door to the guestroom he and Kairi were sharing was closed, Yuna immediately pounced on them. "You know you're amazing, right?" she queried with awe.

"It was quite impressive, what you did back there," Jiminy agreed, hopping to Sora's shoulder. "I do believe you and Kairi can accomplish just about anything."

Sora waved them off. "It was nothing," he muttered distractedly, sitting heavily on the bed.

Kairi was beside him in a second. "What's wrong?" she asked gently, taking his hands.

"The guy in white," Sora began, "the one only I could see. It was Chris." His companions stared at him in amazement. "And I saw him again, just now. He was playing his flute with Justin."

Confusion passed over Kairi's face, then comprehension, and finally acceptance. She believed him. "_That's_ what I heard," she breathed to herself. Louder, she said, "I don't see what the big deal is. I mean, this is pretty much like what happened with Mufasa."

"I know," Sora sighed, "but Karai noticed and now she thinks I'm part of the prophecies." He glanced at Kairi helplessly. "I'm not a god...or...or a prophet."

She smiled sweetly at him, cupping his face in her soft hands. "You're right," she purred soothingly. "You aren't either of those; you're the Master of Light. But even more important than that, you're a man who cares." She placed a short kiss on his lips. "Never forget that."

He smiled lovingly at her. "I won't." He drew Kairi closer to him and they both settled into bed, falling asleep in each other's arms.

That night, Sora's dreams were disturbingly vivid, but fragmented and hard to decipher. A wall of fire, a veil, a sleek ship, a massive glowing creature, a grandfatherly figure, shimmering beams of energy in every color of the rainbow. There were many, many people, both familiar and unfamiliar, human and N'Darie, dead and alive. There was a metallic ruin on a desolate world filled with darkness. There was a chilling laugh that stirred something in Sora's memory. But one thing stuck out more vividly than the rest, a single sentence in L'Guan:

A vel che ye en G'yevena fan te s'tin k've d'nilet.

* * *

**A/N: **Like I said, not in the Disney spirit. I would like to emphasize again that I am not anti-slash, nor am I homophobic. I just try to adhere very closely to the canon (with exceptions, of course). If you liked the brief glimpse I gave you of Karai's work or have other questions, feel free to send either her or me a PM.

Kudos to anyone who understood the science references! I love talking nerd, so feel free to drop me a PM. And no, I'm not going to explain them for anyone who doesn't get them. Irene and J'nel were not kidding. Also, I'm not going to translate. If you really want to know what J'nel and Karai said, read the books. It will be obvious afterward.

On a different note, I have redone Chapter 1. I encourage you to read it because you might be confused in the future otherwise. That's all I'm going to say on that matter. It includes an extensive author's note that should explain everything else.

**New Characters:**

Karai: _Auch das Schöne_ (2001)  
Malae: _Amazing Grace_ (2001)  
Tony:_ Auch das Schöne_ (2001)  
Justin: _Amazing Grace_ (2001)  
J'nel: _Amazing Grace_ (2001)  
Irene: _Amazing Grace_ (2001)  
Max: _Amazing Grace_ (2001)  
Jocea: _Amazing Grace_ (2001)  
Chris: _Amazing Grace_ (2001)


	25. To Boldly Go

Chapter 25: To Boldly Go

Sora uneasily glanced around, sweeping his eyes over the hoard of Heartless around him. It felt like he was back in the Great Maw, fighting the Battle of a Thousand Heartless. With a fierce battle cry, he charged the throng.

He blinked once, and suddenly he was surrounded by an angry mob of pigs and chickens. Several animals pounced and Sora responded with a Firaga spell. The scent of cooking bacon and eggs reached his nose, making his mouth water.

A particularly large chicken knocked _Ultima Weapon_ out of Sora's grasp, staring at him with hungry eyes. It opened its huge beak to swallow him whole, a menacing growl emanating from its gullet...

Sora's eyes snapped open.

He was still in Karai's guestroom, safely tucked in bed, but the comfortable warmth of Kairi's body against his chest was gone. The dream was over, but the wonderful aroma still filled his nostrils and his stomach growled again.

Breakfast!

He kicked the sheets off and grabbed his clothes, shoving them on as he hobbled for the kitchen. A leg was working its way into his pants as he hopped across the threshold, his entrance far from graceful. As usual, Sora was the last to arrive.

"Told you he'd come running," Kairi said smugly, making everyone laugh.

With a grin, Sora slid into a chair and picked up his utensils. "Food is good," he said, pronouncing 'food' so that it rhymed with 'good.'

"And there's plenty of it," Karai assured him, placing the last serving dish on the table, a big bowl of eggs right under Sora's nose. He eagerly reached for it, only to have his hand slapped away by his girlfriend. She caught his eye and nodded to the rest of the table, who were holding hands and bowing their heads. Chagrined, Sora quickly did likewise.

"Lord, thank you for bringing us together this day," Justin prayed, "thank you for strengthening us in these dark times, and bless Sora and Kairi for making all this possible." Sora felt his face grow hot and had to concentrate on keeping quiet. "In your Son's name we pray. Amen."

Everyone answered with an emphatic, "Amen."

For a while, Karai's family ate with the group of friends and chatted amiably about inconsequential things. But soon, the plates became empty. Tony and Malae left to start their days while Karai began clearing the table. The weight of the task at hand began settling on them as surely as breakfast was settling in their stomachs.

"What are you going to do now?" J'nel finally questioned.

"Find the source of this darkness and eliminate it," Sora answered decisively.

"You know what's causing this?" Irene gasped.

Sora deflated a little. "Not a clue." Sure, in the end it came down to Astan, but that didn't help them find the direct source.

Irene laughed. "Sometimes you sound so much like K'nsolear."

"But I'm not," Sora was quick to point out a little too emphatically. "I'm not a prophet," he babbled on in a crazed tone. "The prophecies are a part of this world. I'm not, so don't expect anything prophetic from me." He eyed them, daring them to contradict him. The last thing he wanted was for their expectations to rise higher than his capabilities.

"Okay, okay," Irene retracted. "Yeesh, no need for the third degree." She grinned mischievously. "Nice speech though. Have you been practicing?"

Sora bristled and scowled, folding his arms across his chest. Karai's attempt at hiding her chuckling didn't go unnoticed either.

"We know you're no prophet," Justin assured him. "But you are the key to stopping this darkness."

Sora resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Got that right," he muttered under his breath.

"Still," Max interjected, "K'nsolear always knew what to do, even if he didn't know why. Surely you must have an idea."

Sora frowned in thought. Max had a point. He closed his eyes and tried to snatch the snippets of his dream in an attempt to make sense of it, but only a sentence came to mind, the single L'Guan sentence: A vel che ye en G'yevena fan te s'tin k've d'nilet. He pushed it to the back of his mind, but it just kept floating back up as if it wanted to be said. With a sigh, he gave in.

"What does 'A vel che en G'ye–"

J'nel leapt out of his chair and tackled Sora in an attempt to cover his mouth. "Do not say those words," J'nel hissed worriedly. "Those are words spoken by a martyr marching to death."

"I don't plan on martyring myself," Sora said through J'nel's hand.

J'nel somehow understood. "Call me superstitious, but I believe it is better that you not say them." His forehead creased in concern. "Destiny does not heed the players on her stage." Very cautiously, J'nel released Sora. When the boy said nothing, he relaxed back into his seat, but he and Karai both kept looking at him as if he'd already died.

Unfortunately, the words were not satisfied. They kept teasing Sora's thoughts until he could not concentrate on anything else. Desperately, he gazed at his surroundings, hoping they would give an answer. His eyes fell upon a photograph hanging in the hallway. Without preempt, he strode over to it.

It was one of several photographs in the hallway, all of them depicting various buildings and structures. The one that had caught Sora's eye was of what looked to be a starfish-shaped building with four other buildings approximately at the corners of the area outlined by the starfish. Something that looked like a retractable dome was half up...or was it half down? The world itself seemed desolate and barren.

"Each of these pictures is of a place that played a significant part in our lives," Karai explained from behind him. Sora was so absorbed in thought that he hardly registered her. "I put them up as a reminder that even our worst trials also held joy."

"Mmm hmm," Sora hummed distractedly. There was something familiar about the buildings...

"This is Colony III-α," Karai continued, "where I met Tony and where I became unafraid of my genetics."

With a jolt, the image of a metallic ruin on a desolate world filled with darkness crashed to the forefront of his mind. The buildings had toppled, but the edges were still there: the curve of the dome, the branches of the starfish. This is where they needed to go.

"How do we get there?" Sora asked, snapping out of his reverie and turning to Karai.

She blinked back owlishly, caught off guard by Sora's abrupt attention. "You can't go there, right now," she recovered. "The Trezena burned up the atmosphere with their weapons when they attacked the colony. There's no air left to breathe. And the colony itself is away from the sun right now. If the storms don't kill you, the cold will."

"Harfet made air for us on his ship with that fancy computer of his," Irene mused. "Heck, he made the ship with it." She placed a finger on her lip in thought. "And if I recall correctly, Dehtar did something similar, didn't he?"

With a small shake of her head, Karai managed to compose herself. "Yes, he did, but you'd need one of those computers to do so."

In response, Max reached into his shirt and pulled out what looked like a spinning, whirling ball of light. The way the light tumbled around inside whatever held it together was almost hypnotic.

"I thought you couldn't find it," Karai said wearily.

"We couldn't find the one K'nsolear had used," Justin explained. "This must be a new one." He glanced at Max with a small grin and shook his head in wonder.

Max just shrugged, "Seemed like a good idea."

"What's it do?" Sora mused, wandering back to the table. Without pausing to consider the stupidity of his actions, he reached a hand out toward the mesmerizing device. A beam of orange light shot from Sora's palm and splashed against the outer covering on the computer. With a yelp, Sora jumped back.

"It converts thoughts and emotions into energy, and energy into matter," Jocea chastised, cupping the whirling ball in her hands, "and you wear your emotions on your sleeves...strong ones."

"Uh...heh heh." Sora grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Oops."

"So," J'nel started, emphasizing with his hands, "we have the computer. Now we just need someone who can master it."

Just then, a rainbow of color spouted like a fountain from the computer in Jocea's hands and tumbled to the floor. She watched what she had wrought for a few seconds with calm interest. Then, her brow furrowed slightly in concentration. The next second, the light had turned into water, creating an actual fountain that gushed briefly before all the water vanished, leaving everything as dry as before.

Jocea glanced around the table at all the stares she was getting and shrugged. "Seems simple enough. It just requires a lot of concentration."

"If you say so," Irene said, rolling her eyes. A hint of a frown was tugging at the corners of Karai's mouth. "None of us ever really got the hang of it."

Jocea just shrugged nonchalantly again. "I guess it's in my blood." The corners came down further.

"Nai j'kecha!"" J'nel snorted.

"That's settled, then," Sora concluded enthusiastically. "Now we just need a way to get there." He wistfully thought of his days in the Highwind with Donald and Goofy, lamenting that his new method of travel, while faster, was not nearly so fun.

The friends shared a quick grin with one another. "A trip to Colony III-α to battle the darkness?" Justin mused jokingly. "Sounds like a job for the _S'teronah_."

"The _S'teronah_?" Sora gasped. "Really?" The peerless ship had been described to him in all its glories and now his hands itched to get ahold of the controls.

"Hmph," J'nel huffed. "I suppose that means we should all come along and make sure you can pilot it without breaking it." He made a big show of being reluctant, but Sora could tell he didn't mean it.

"So, you're going to come with us?" Kairi posed.

"Yes, yes," J'nel said impatiently. "Zasch Raphfredia t'reyon re danecha t'va te d'nel o ma," he muttered under his breath, throwing Sora and Kairi an affectionate smile. The others also nodded their confirmations...all except Karai.

"You're not coming?" Sora asked, surprised.

"No," Karai stated simply. "My time came long ago. This is your time now."

Sora nodded in understanding. Sometimes you just have to step back and trust someone else to get things done. "So what happened to the _S'teronah_?" Sora wondered, remembering his excitement.

"The new government decided that it should be returned to its rightful owner not long ago," Karai answered with a smile. "But, since its rightful owner was K'nsolear, they returned it to me, instead."

Sora grabbed the edge of the table to keep his hands from shaking too badly. "Where is it?" he burst, failing to keep the eagerness in his voice contained. Several people around the table giggled at his enthusiasm.

The smile on Karai's face grew larger and a few chuckles escaped. "In the backyard." She gestured towards the window. "You can actually see it from here –" Her smile turned sly. "– when the cloaking device isn't on." Sora's eyes bugged. All this time he'd been yards from the most magnificent ship he'd ever heard of without knowing it! "We really should find a better place for it," Karai finished off-handedly.

Irene had a hand over her mouth, trying to compose herself. "Maybe we should go take a look now," Irene suggested. "Sora looks like he's about to pop." Her statement wasn't so far from the truth.

A few minutes later found Sora standing in awe, gazing at the magnificent (now-visible) hull of the _S'teronah_, the Star of Tomorrow. It was not much bigger than a Gummi ship, but Gummi blocks tended to look, well..._blocky_, whereas the _S'teronah_ had a grace and beauty to it that no Gummi could ever attain. He ran a hand over the iridescent hull, his palm gliding effortlessly across the surface.

"Some ship," Kairi breathed from beside him. Even she could tell that this ship was something to behold.

"How's she handle?" Sora asked reverently.

"Effortlessly," Justin replied. "Almost like she can read your thoughts."

"Maneuverability?"

"She could weave through all these trees without knocking off even a leaf."

"Thrusters?"

"Hover to top speed in less than a minute."

"Weapons?"

"Some lasers, but mostly energy weapons. There's enough to blow apart an asteroid the size of the ship, though."

"Shields?"

"Powerful enough to survive a head-on collision with said asteroid."

Sora whistled in appreciation. "And a cloaking device, to boot!"

"Well don't just stand there gawking," J'nel teased from the boarding platform. "Come check out the bridge."

The bridge was surprisingly humble, considering how marvelous the ship was; seven stations placed around a captain's chair with a large viewing screen in the front. But, wait! Sora began counting on his fingers: Sora, Kairi, Justin, J'nel, Max, Irene, Jocea.

Justin chuckled at him, easily guessing what Sora was thinking. "Don't worry," he assured. "I doubt we'll ever use all seven stations simultaneously."

"Besides," Irene threw in, "Justin's the only one of us who _really_ knows how to work this thing."

"Ahem," Max coughed discreetly. "Who figured out how to create a rip? _Or_ run the environment scans? _Or_ –"

"Yeah," Irene interrupted, "but you haven't been taught this stuff."

Sora walked by the stations, casually examining them. All the screens and panels and buttons were much more complex than anything he'd encountered in a Gummi, but they were similar enough. He managed to pick out controls for the weapons, thrusters, wings, and steering. He ran his hand wistfully along the steering column, eager to take off.

"Hold your horses," J'nel chastised. "One: Justin pilots. Two: We're not provisioned yet. It'll take a few days to get to Colony III-α."

"Aw," Sora pouted. He scuffed his foot on the ground in disappointment, his hopes of piloting this phenomenal ship gone.

With a chuckle, J'nel ruffled Sora's hair. "Maybe if you ask nicely, Justin will give you a turn."

Having finished with the tour, the others began exiting the ship, Sora reluctantly following. Karai stood waiting at the bottom of the boarding platform.

"Everything is in working order?" she queried.

"As far as I can tell," Justin answered. "All we need to do now is stock up on supplies."

"Feel free to take whatever we have," Karai offered. She smiled sheepishly. "I've been anticipating this for a while and am well prepared."

"Thank you," Justin responded gratefully with a polite bow of his head.

Irene took a step forward. "Alright, then," she enthused, "let's get packing!"

* * *

A short while later, all the provisions were safely stowed in the _S'teronah_. All that was left was to say goodbyes. One by one, they received words of encouragement from Tony and Karai, plus silent encouragement from Malae. Karai also insisted on getting hugs from all of them.

"It was nice meeting all of you," Kairi said as her turn came up.

"Yeah," Sora added his agreement. "And thanks for letting us stay with you."

Tony smiled gently at them. "Believe me, the pleasure is all ours," he said sincerely. He shook both of their hands gratefully.

"It's the least we could do to repay you," Karai professed. "You have already helped us more than you can imagine."

"And stop back if you're ever in the area," Tony said, giving Sora a clap on the shoulder.

"Yes," Karai added, "our house is always open to you."

And last in line to say goodbye was Jocea. Karai and Tony both embraced their daughter tightly for several long moments. Then Malae and Jocea clasped hands briefly, sharing a silent farewell.

"I'll see you soon," Jocea said with firm reassurance. She turned without a word and walked toward the _S'teronah_.

As the boarding platform began rising, Tony gave them a last wave. "Good luck!" he called out.

"Be safe!" Karai added. She watched the _S'teronah_ rise gracefully through the trees and disappear from view with a bit of motherly trepidation. Not for Jocea; she knew they would all keep her safe. Not for their task, either; she fully Believed in these two extraordinary children.

It was Sora she worried for. He'd known the sacred words. While he hadn't said them all out loud, Karai knew information wasn't handed out on a whim by Fate. Only the information needed to fulfill Destiny was given. Sora had been given the words, just like K'nsolear's mother.

And K'nsolear's mother had been Fated to die.

* * *

Sora was still staring in amazement at the bridge and out its viewing screen half an hour after take off. The ship was even more magnificent in action. It turned on a dime and accelerated to speeds Sora hadn't ever imagined, but on the bridge, you could barely tell it was moving at all. The colors of hyperspace swirled past them as the _S'teronah_ headed for Colony III-α.

"Think fast!" J'nel shouted at him.

"Huh?" Sora shook himself out of his trance in time to catch the plunger J'nel had thrown at him. The N'Darie had a broom in his hands.

"Nice reflexes," J'nel approved with a satisfied nod. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he lunged at Sora with the broom, wielding it like it was a double-ended weapon.

"Woah!" Sora uttered, hastily blocking with the plunger. J'nel was fast!

J'nel swung at Sora's head and, when Sora blocked again, brought the other end around and caught Sora's thigh. Sora responded with a whack on J'nel's shoulder.

They continued exchanging blows like this for several minutes, both landing a respectable number of hits, but the upper hand was clearly with J'nel. Sora would have to be creative to beat the N'Darie. After a blow that jarred the rubber end of his plunger, an idea formed in Sora's mind.

The next time J'nel moved for a downward strike, Sora swung up to meet it, causing the broom handle to bounce wildly off the rubber. While J'nel was briefly distracted with getting his weapon under control, Sora removed the rubber and chucked it at J'nel's face. J'nel caught it with ease, but this gave Sora the opening he was looking for. As soon as the first hand left the broom handle, Sora knocked the broom out of the second hand.

"Ha!" Sora cried triumphantly, tapping J'nel across the neck with the naked handle, ending the impromptu duel. J'nel stared at the rubber piece in his hand blankly, then up at Sora in surprise.

"J'nelefe!" Irene hollered, storming onto the bridge to glare pointedly at her fiancé. "I suppose you think it's funny to put my luggage on the shelf I can't reach." Justin, who'd been sitting inconspicuously at the cockpit the whole time, just sniggered. "And you'd better hope Karai's toilet doesn't clog while you have her plunger," she snapped.

The duelists glanced at their respective plunger parts, then at each other, then at Irene. The disapproval in her expression sent them both into a round of laughter.

When Irene continued to bore holes into J'nel's skull, he placated, "Alright, alright. I'll move it." He grabbed the handle from Sora and strode over to give his love a quick kiss. "Midget humans," he snorted amicably as he started down the hall. "I guess I'll have to find something else to do now."

Irene frowned in confusion. "What happened to training Sora and Kairi?" she shouted after him.

"Don't need it," he shouted back before turning a corner out of earshot. If Sora didn't know any better, he'd say J'nel sounded a little disappointed. Justin just sniggered again.

"Very creative," he remarked.

Sora snorted. "You would be too if you always fought guys who were stronger and faster than you."

"You still held your own, though," Justin pointed out, sounding impressed. "He hardly landed any hits on you."

"Seven," Sora grumped. That was a large number to him.

Justin chuckled. "That's low for J'nel. They were all minor areas, too. And he wasn't going easy on you, either."

Irene whistled in appreciation. "That _is_ good." She paused, curiosity spreading across her face. "So...what happened to the plunger?"

Sora recounted the sparring match for Irene, who listened to it with excited wonder. When he was finished, she demanded more battle stories. Sora proceeded through some of the more light-hearted ones. He had just finished telling her about the time he accidentally tripped over his shoelaces and ended up disarming Riku in the resulting fall by sheer luck when J'nel walked back in.

"Finished!" he announced, then sighed. "Now I have nothing to do."

Justin grinned mischievously. "I'm sure you and Irene can find something to do," he teased suggestively.

"Jay!" they both protested, which only made Justin laugh. Pretty soon, Irene couldn't help but laugh with him, despite her embarrassment. J'nel, however, had a blue tinge to his face. As the two continued laughing, he just stood poker straight with the blue tinge growing alarmingly.

"Guys," Sora said worriedly, "guys, I think J'nel's choking."

J'nel closed his eyes as Justin and Irene laughed harder, his face growing bluer still. "I'm not choking, I'm blushing," he forced out quickly.

"Oh," Sora peeped, heat rising in his own cheeks. Blue blood... Right...

Justin and Irene laughed harder still and soon the other two joined them, the laughter echoing around the bridge.

* * *

Having finished settling in, Kairi wandered down the residence wing, peering through open doors as she went. She glimpsed Max through one of them, his nose in something very technical looking. He had a focused frown on his face, so Kairi just moved on.

Kairi found Jocea in the next open room. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed with her hands clasped in her lap. She also had her eyes closed, an intense frown on her face, but every once in a while, she would shiver violently and the frown would turn into a fierce snarl.

Worried for the girl, Kairi stepped through the threshold into a wall of frigid air. "Goodness!" she yelped, rubbing her arms vigorously. She took a few more steps into the room. "Why's it so cold in here?" When she reached the bed, though, the temperature instantly became more comfortable.

"Hmm..." Kairi hummed, impressed. "Good heater." Suddenly, the temperature dropped again and Jocea's scowl returned.

She scowled for a few seconds more before sighing, "Computer, twenty-five degrees." The whole room began warming quickly. Groaning, Jocea lifted a hand to her temple and began rubbing it, letting Kairi glimpse the whirling ball in her other hand.

"Practicing?" Kairi asked politely as understanding rushed her. The girl nodded shyly and swung her legs over the bed so Kairi could sit next to her. Beads of sweat stood out on her brow, still half-frozen. Jocea quietly regarded the computer in her hands, then placed it on the bedside table.

"Enough for now," she mumbled tiredly.

"Why did you have the door open?" Kairi wondered. If she were Jocea, she'd want to practice in peace.

Jocea smiled slightly. "To practice ignoring distractions."

The more experienced girl sighed at her, memories of her own lessons with Sora and Riku coming back. "You shouldn't try to master everything at once," Kairi instructed, echoing what her friends had told her over and over. It wasn't until her brief lesson with Elizabeth that she'd really gotten the hang of how to practice. "Take it one thing at a time. Figure out what you need to do and make sure you can do it well first, then worry about doing it with distractions.

"But," the part-N'Darie girl protested, "what if I don't have enough time for that?" She grimaced with a gaunt expression. "Everyone is depending on me."

Sighing again, Kairi tucked some of Jocea's hair behind her ear, marveling at that one green strip. "Just like everyone is depending on Jay to fly the ship and everyone is depending on Max to do the smart stuff and everyone is depending on Sora to figure out just what the heck we're supposed to be doing." She smiled kindly. "We all have to play our parts, no matter how large or small. You don't have to carry everything alone."

Jocea looked at her with gratitude shining deep in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered hoarsely, as if she were fighting tears. They sat together a few minutes more in silence before Kairi realized that the girl was still trying to compose herself.

"Is something else wrong?" Kairi coaxed, rubbing comforting circles on Jocea's back.

"No," Jocea murmured, "it's just...you remind me of my sister." Jocea looked up and Kairi saw that there were indeed the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "She always knew how to make me feel better." The girl gave a watery chuckle. "She knew how to make _everyone_ feel better." She sighed and stared blankly at the wall.

"It's funny," Jocea remarked. "You and Sora are so different from Vindeflei and K'nsolear, but you're the same where it truly matters. K'nsolear could always make you feel confident in yourself like Sora can." Her face screwed up in a last effort to stem the flow of tears. "Then Vindeflei, she...she..."

Now the tears began to fall freely and Kairi gathered Jocea in a protective hug. It really was strange how much like a big sister Kairi felt at the moment; they were the same age, comparatively, and Jocea was older in reality. But, whatever hardships Jocea had endured so far in her life – for she was sure to have endured much, considering her family – she was still the youngest of three and used to having someone older and more mature to depend on. More mature, at least, fit Kairi's description.

Eventually, Jocea lifted her head from Kairi's shoulder. "Sorry about your shirt," she whispered apologetically. It _was_ quite wet at this point.

"At least you don't cry blood like your mom," Kairi teased, producing a brief smile from the grieving girl. "Don't worry about it," Kairi said more seriously. "That's what friends are for."

"Friends..." Jocea repeated, mulling the concept over, like it was foreign to her. Which, Kairi reminded herself, it probably was. As if reading her thoughts, Jocea explained, "I don't have many friends. None of us ever really did. We've all been homeschooled. Vindeflei and K'nsolear had each other, but that was it. Truthfully, I was always a bit jealous of that." She bit her lip out of guilt. "It wasn't until after they left home that K'nsolear and Vindeflei made any close friends." Jocea sighed, gazing out the door with longing. "Those guys are nice, but they're K'nsolear and Vindeflei's friends, not mine."

Kairi understood that; it reminded her of Wakka's little brother, Chappu. Chappu was nice enough, but he was still Wakka's little brother and none of Wakka's close friends tried to get close to Chappu.

Kairi's heart ached for the poor soul who now sat next to her and she found herself sympathizing with Jocea. Not only that, Kairi genuinely liked Jocea and found herself wanting to know more about this sweet, quiet person who trusted her enough to open up to her.

"Well," Kairi started, "if I'm not mistaken, you're on your way to making a close friend right now." She gave Jocea the warmest smile she could muster.

Jocea gazed at her in shock. "Really?" she questioned hopefully, searching Kairi's face desperately.

"Really, really."

A look of joyous disbelief blossomed on Jocea's face, then she grinned sheepishly. "You _are_ really easy to talk to," Jocea admitted ruefully, as if she should have come to Kairi's conclusion herself. "And no one's ever tried to get me to dance before."

Kairi just beamed at her new (potentially best) friend.

* * *

Dinner that night was rather lively. Boredom hadn't set in just yet, so everyone still had energy to joke. Sora was amused to see that Jocea sat next to Kairi without prompting and the two girls began friendly conversation. Leave it to his princess to make a new gal pal in a few hours.

J'nel, however, had been rather quiet. He participated minimally in conversations and seemed distracted the whole time. Finally, during a lull in the noise, he placed his elbows on the table and steepled his hands in front of his face, staring pointedly at Sora. The rest of the table focused on them, the serious mood spreading.

"What should we be expecting when we get to the colony?" he asked without preamble.

"Huh?" Sora grunted. Karai had made it clear to everyone that there were violent storms on Colony III-α, freezing temperatures, and no breathable atmosphere. Sora had also made it clear that he only knew that the source of the darkness was on Colony III-α, not what it was. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you move like you've had to put your skills to good use, not like someone who's only sparred his whole life," J'nel replied seriously. Gazing hard at Sora, he stated more simply, "You are accustomed to battle."

"Yes..." Sora confirmed slowly. If it came down to a fight to take care of the darkness, Sora would take care of it like always. Anything they met on the way would be nothing. "Oh!" Sora exclaimed in realization. It would be nothing for Sora, but something for everyone else. "We might run into some small enemies. Everyone should at least be able to protect themselves."

J'nel nodded. Apparently this was the answer he was looking for. A mischievous grin formed on his face. "Guess I'm spending the rest of this trip teaching everyone _else_ how to take care of themselves." He focused on Sora. "So what kind of small enemies are we talking about?"

Sora looked down with a frown, folding his arms. He debated quickly about what he should tell them. Well, if they could stomach the Shoac, they could probably handle what Sora had to tell. Briefly, he described the Heartless, Nobodies, and Halfhearted, as well as ways to defend against and/or attack them.

J'nel was deep in thought, no doubt trying to develop a suitable training regime. "Is that all?" he queried.

Sora bit his lip. He'd refrained from mentioning Astan and the Restless. Sora's silence prodded J'nel to look up. Feeling that he had to answer now, Sora said, "That's for me to worry about." Protests erupted around the table at this.

"We're in this together," Jocea's serene voice broke over top of everyone else. She fixed Sora with a calm stare. "You may be the one to battle this darkness, but we're here to support you."

Kairi smiled at her new friend and turned to her boyfriend. "Come on, Sora," she wheedled, taking Jocea's side. "You don't have to get into the details." She smirked, reading his doubts easily. "And, unless you plan on fighting weaponless, they'll find out about that anyway."

He sighed in defeat. The girls were right, of course. So he also briefly mentioned the Restless and Astan.

Max eyed Sora worriedly. "Can anyone be turned into a Restless?" he asked fearfully. A shock went through the table as the others guessed what he was really asking.

In answer, Sora rose from the table and backed away to give himself some room. "Did K'nsolear have anything like this?" He summoned his Keyblade for all of them to see.

"I think we'd remember something like that," Irene snorted in an effort to ease the tension.

Sora grinned at her, letting his Keyblade vanish. Turning back to Max, he decided to answer the question asked. "Only people who had something like that can be turned into a Restless."

"Damn," J'nel breathed. "Wish I had a weapon like that. What do you call it?"

"A Keyblade."

"How boringly appropriate," Max inserted with a straight face.

Irene giggled at him. "It's exciting enough on its own. It doesn't need an exciting name."

Sora and Kairi looked away from each other, trying not to laugh. Exciting? Talk about the understatement of the century.

* * *

The new pair of friends had locked themselves in one of the cargo bays this time. It wasn't that they didn't want anyone to disturb them; it's just that they thought everyone would appreciate not being able to walk into an oxygenless room accidentally. Jocea and Kairi themselves were wearing breathers, just in case. Presently, the "younger" girl was concentrating on keeping a candle flame lit. Kairi was there mostly for encouragement...and also to relight the candle with magic.

After a while, Jocea's shoulders slumped and the candle instantly guttered out. Kairi rubbed her back supportively, urging her to try again, but the girl just shook her head, indicating that she'd had enough for now. Their computer "wielder" had been improving, but she still had issues with her stamina giving out after a few hours.

Seeing Jocea's fatigue, Kairi guided her friend out of the cargo bay and to the mess hall. She forced Jocea to eat and drink to still her tremors and give some color back to her face. The poor girl always left her practice sessions looking completely drained.

Clasping her water cup and staring dully at it, Jocea murmured, "I don't have the heart for this."

"What?" Kairi said automatically, startled. "Don't be silly! Of course, you do."

"No, I don't," Jocea insisted miserably. "I'm trying to be strong, like Vindeflei and K'nsolear, but I just can't do it."

"Jocea," Kairi said sternly. "Why did you decide to come with us?"

She turned her face away in shame. "Because my heart told me to." Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Right!" Kairi exclaimed in triumph. "Your heart was called to us." She forced Jocea to look at her. "That means you are meant to do this."

"Maybe your method is flawed."

Both girls jumped at the sound of Max's voice. He smiled slightly at them in apology. "Sorry," he said a bit ruefully. "I overheard you talking." After a brief moment of thought, he decided to sit down across from them. "I must agree with Kairi. It is not coincidence that you are here." He paused. "Perhaps you should try approaching the problem from a different angle," he suggested.

"What do you mean?" Jocea demanded wearily.

Instead of answering, Max asked, "How do you fuel it? What do you put into it to get it to do what you want?"

Jocea blinked owlishly at him. "I will it and it happens."

A knowing smirk twitched at the corner of Max's mouth. "So, you are trying to fuel it with a continuous stream of emotion. No wonder you're having trouble."

"Well, what would you do?" she snapped at him.

He gazed at her kindly, ignoring the rudeness born of frustration. "You are turning emotions into energy into matter. I would just start from the energy and go straight to the matter." He grinned wryly at them. "There will be plenty of energy to use on Colony III-α."

"I thought it was in ruins," Kairi frowned.

Max chuckled, "Remember the storms?" They both nodded. "Well, I've been looking at the data and there's a point during the day when the storm peaks for an hour or so. It constantly hails with winds easily over 100mph. That's a lot of mechanical energy, right there. Not to mention the frequent lightning strikes." The wry grin curled further in amusement. "All you have to do is convert it. The storm will be protecting us from itself."

"Max, you're a genius!" Kairi beamed excitedly. Max just shrugged nonchalantly.

Jocea was sitting, stunned, her eyes wide and unseeing. Abruptly, she pushed away from the table and strode to a more open space. Almost reverently, she took out the computer and cradled it in her hands. Her eyes closed and her breathing slowed. After a moment, the lights dimmed and the air cooled a bit as a shimmering bubble appeared around Jocea, easily several yards across.

Kairi held her breath, watching as Jocea slowly opened her eyes to examine her handiwork. Her friend was magnitudes calmer than earlier. "Kairi," she rushed in nervous excitement. "The candle?"

"Sure thing," Kairi responded in an equal tone. She dashed over and placed the object beyond Jocea's wall, lighting it with a Fire spell.

"Now throw something at me," Jocea commanded.

Quickly, Kairi snatched up Jocea's discarded cup and tossed it. She aimed to the side of the girl instead of at her, just in case, while still aiming through the shield. The cup sailed straight for the shimmering wall, met it, and even passed through it. As soon as it was through, though, it dropped to the floor like a rock. At the same moment, the candle flame burst into bright glory, vaporizing the wick and leaving the wax in a black puddle.

They all stared at it in astonishment. Then Jocea lifted her eyes to her companions, the high of her success blazing in them. Kairi just grinned at her in answer. Whatever awaited them on Colony III-α would be no match for this group of heroes.

* * *

Sora wandered through the residence halls with nothing particular to do. He'd helped out with J'nel's lesson, so he was fairly tired and contemplating a quick nap. A soft gasp from Justin's room caused Sora to backpedal and peek his head in.

"Jay?" Sora inquired quietly, using the nickname he'd picked up from Irene. Justin glanced up at him with glistening eyes and a sad smile. Sora had to fight back a gasp of his own. "Are you alright?" He entered the room and crossed to the bed, sitting down next to Justin.

"I'm just...remembering," he sighed wearily. "It hurts a lot now, and I'm sure it will always hurt some, but the memories are too precious to forget."

"Jay..." Sora breathed, not knowing anything else to say. Losing Kairi was such a painful thought that Sora's brain would not allow him to even try to imagine it.

Justin smiled kindly at Sora, trying to ease the young man's worries. "I'll be fine. _Really_," he stressed. "Here," he started, "look at this."

He handed Sora a picture with a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces. Irene and Justin were hanging precariously on each other, with J'nel behind them rolling his eyes. Max was standing off to one side shyly, like he felt he didn't belong.

The "unfamiliar" faces were all clustered together on the other side of the picture. Chris, who turned out to have brown hair with blond highlights and brown eyes, was giving a surprise noogie to a man with green hair, muted N'Darie facial features, and intelligent eyes. A woman with slightly pointed ears and long black hair with faint green highlights was laughing openly at them. Sora smiled at the happiness the camera had managed to capture.

"In case you couldn't guess," Justin teased, his eyes twinkling humorously, "that's Chris, Vindeflei, and K'nsolear."

Sora studied the picture for a moment longer. Now he had actual faces, not ghosts, to go with the names, which only strengthened his desire to finish what they'd started. He handed it back and took out a picture of his own to show Justin. It was one of him, Kairi, and Riku smiling at the camera, their faces squished together to fit in the frame. Seeing it made Justin chuckle.

"That's Riku, my best friend," Sora told him. "He's visiting somewhere else right now." At least Sora had found an update to the Commspheres waiting for him the last time he'd been to his room. It had put his worries for his friends in Twilight Town at ease, for a time.

The blond man hummed happily as he took his turn to study the picture. Finally, he turned back to Sora. "Don't let go of them," he warned, handing the photo back.

Sora had to suppress a shudder. He thought of all the times he'd almost lost Riku and Kairi. He wouldn't let it happen again. Not if he could help it. "I won't," he vowed.

They continued to swap more memories, taking comfort in them, until Irene came to get them for dinner.

* * *

Yuna was hidden away in Kairi's room currently. She was always hidden. Oh, how she hated hiding! Her heels drummed angrily on the bedside table as she reclined back on her hands, her legs swung over the side.

She was bored, too. Not that she wasn't always bored, what with all the dreadful hiding. She was just especially bored being stuck in the same room on the same ship with the same people she couldn't let see her.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Jiminy's friendly face was looking up at her from the bed. He hopped the rest of the distance to the table and sat next to her. She didn't really want to talk to Jiminy, but she was so eager to stave off the dullness that she would talk to anyone.

"I _hate_ being small like this!" she burst in frustration. "I can't do anything useful."

"Now, now. Don't say that," Jiminy protested gently. "We're doing lots of useful stuff. Keeping a journal is a very important task."

"Well, _you_ might be content with that, but I'm not!" she bit, crossing her arms across her chest. Jiminy just smiled patiently at her, knowing that he should just wait. Soon, Yuna sighed and continued sadly, "I was one of the world-saving heroes in Spira. Now I'm stuck watching Sora and Kairi save people from the sidelines, too small to help them fight and too meddlesome to be seen. It's maddening!"

"Well," Jiminy began reassuringly, "I hope you know none of us think you're useless."

"Not a bit," Kairi's voice interrupted. She was leaning against the doorframe as if she'd been there a while, but took a seat on the bed now. "At the very least, you're fun to be around. And there's times I'm sure I would've been a goner if you hadn't thrown me a Potion or two." The princess blushed a bit. "I forget to pay attention to that sometimes." She shook her head to clear away the embarrassment. "Not to mention you help us keep track of how our friends are doing. That's _very_ important to me and Sora."

Yuna had seemed heartened by Kairi's words, but the last ones caused her face to fall a bit. "I wish I knew where my friends are," she whispered lowly. "Where _he_ is."

Kairi gazed at Yuna in painful understanding. "Yuna," she started, waiting for the sprite to look at her. "When this is over, if you still haven't found them, I will personally take you around to every single world until we have."

Yuna's head shot up in shock. "You will?"

Kairi nodded resolutely. "I promise."

* * *

"Thundaga!"

Sora's spell splashed against Jocea's wall and was readily gobbled up. A large ice block inside her circle began melting and the small fire flared.

"Blizzaga!"

Kairi's shards of ice hit the wall and dropped dead, melting on their way down.

Grinning cheekily, Jocea covered her mouth in a fake yawn. Her eyes clearly dared them to try their worst.

Of course, Sora obliged. Instead of sending another spell her way, he charged instead, Keyblade in hand. He swung at the barrier while still moving. The instant he touched it, his limbs felt like lead was being gradually poured into them. He very nearly dropped his Keyblade. Then Jocea cried in surprise, the shimmering shield vanishing. The lead also stopped pouring, but his limbs did not get emptied of what had already been unloaded. They both collapsed in exhaustion.

"Bad idea," Sora panted. "Don't charge the shield." He noted with amusement that Kairi had rushed to Jocea first without acknowledging him at all. Probably figured he was a big boy and could take care of himself.

"You should just stick to the storms," Kairi insisted, helping the mostly human girl up. "Don't worry about trying to stop attackers. The rest of us can take care of that. We don't want you getting overwhelmed."

Jocea just pouted ever so slightly, blowing that one green lock of hair out of her face. The rest of her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, leaving the green to hang free on its own. The style also emphasized the slight point to her ears. Kairi said something about it being Jocea's way of embracing who she is and honoring her family. Sora didn't really understand; it was just a hair style to him. It did look good, though.

"How's it going in here?" J'nel asked, popping his head in.

"We're all set to go," Kairi responded proudly. Jocea nodded in agreement.

"Good," J'nel said. "We're almost there so you'll want to –"

Without warning, the ship lurched violently, the whole hull shaking. The four of them were thrown to the ground as alarms blared to life. Sensing trouble, Sora sprinted for the bridge, the others hot on his tail.

"What's going on?" Sora shouted urgently to the room. Irene just pointed to the front screen. Many colorful shapes flew around in the void that stretched in front of them. Sora sucked in a breath. "Heartless ships!"

Justin was making a valiant effort to maneuver past them, but he wasn't reacting quite quickly enough for the nimble enemies. One of them rammed the _S'teronah_, sending everyone, even Justin, hurtling again. Jumping to his feet, Sora scrambled for the controls that their pilot had unwillingly abandoned. He began his unique style of evasive maneuvering, quickly becoming accustomed to the new ship's handling. It was everything Justin had described.

Justin, seeing that Sora had taken his place, seated himself at the weapons systems instead. He started firing as accurately as he could with Sora steering the ship all over the place.

"Everyone hold on!" Sora shouted, in case they hadn't done so already. He banked the ship hard into a barrel roll to avoid a mass of lasers. Some landed, causing the ship to shudder again.

"Shields at 70%," Max called out. Only 70%? Sora expected something closer to 50%. Wow, what a phenomenal ship! "Twenty light-years until we exit hyperspace."

The Heartless ships were starting to cluster. Soon, the bigger _S'teronah _wouldn't be outrunning them; she'd be running over them, instead. The ship was good, but not quite that good. They needed to get out _now_!

Doing some quick estimations, Sora ordered, "Shields to 30%. Reroute to thrusters. Jay, just try to keep them off us."

The learned pilot gawked at him in disbelief, but Max had already complied. The _S'teronah_ rocketed forward, blasting past the Heartless ships before they could start closing in.

"Fifteen light-years."

Sora stared ahead, concentrating on flying straight. He didn't even move aside to avoid collisions, trusting that between the shields and Justin, the ship would hold.

"Ten light-years."

The enemy ships were starting to cluster more thickly in the distance, creating a blockade ahead. The faster ships were beginning to flank them on either side.

"Five light-years."

Each and every ship opened fire on them.

"Opening rip."

They hurtled headlong towards the wall of red lasers. Right before they hit, a dark patch in space opened in their path. The red vanished abruptly as the blackness of normal space replaced the nebulous swirls of hyperspace. Sora let the breath he'd been holding leak slowly out of his lungs.

"Nice job, girl," he whispered fondly, rubbing his hand down the steering column proudly. "Thanks." He brought the ship to a stop to give it a chance to recharge, the invisibility cloak activating.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked, turning from the controls. Those not lucky enough to be at a station were still clinging on for dear life to whatever they could find.

"Fine," Kairi replied shakily, struggling to stand. The others were just staring at him in awe, looking unharmed for the most part.

"You barrel rolled us without a single thing flying out of place," J'nel sputtered.

Sora shrugged nonchalantly. "The ship was doing most of the work," he muttered, trying to shake off their incredulity. "I bet any of you could do it too."

"No, they couldn't," Justin deadpanned. "That wasn't her, that was all you. Where did you learn to fly like that?"

"I just kinda picked it up," Sora answered, scratching his head. That was true, at least. Thankfully, no one decided to press him further.

He turned to the screen to hide the ferocious blush that was threatening to surface. Ahead of them, a dark world loomed. They'd exited hyperspace on the day side, the side opposite the actual colony, but the storm clouds were roiling on the edges of the light, giving a menacing look to the barren surface.

A sense of foreboding descended on Sora. "This is definitely the place," he grimaced. If the Heartless ships weren't convincing enough, the sense of despair and hopelessness that radiated from the world was.

"What's the damage, Max?" Justin inquired softly. It seemed the mood had affected all of them.

The humble genius turned to his computer, his eyes becoming wider with each screen of the report. "Minimal," he finally stated. "Nothing the ship can't repair itself."

Sora scowled as they all ogled some more. "Shouldn't we be landing?" he bit.

Their pilot closed his mouth with visible effort. "Of course," he said soothingly, resuming his rightful seat at the cockpit. "Now, where's this tunnel?"

Max, who'd been studying everything about Colony III-α he could get his hands on – a great deal since the _S'teronah_ was developed there – began directing Justin. They'd all agreed that using the escape tunnel connecting the two sides of the world was least likely to attract attention quickly.

The _S'teronah_ glided gracefully to the world's surface and easily maneuvered into the passage. As the outside light slid away and the tunnel walls closed over them, Sora could not shake the illusion that the darkness was swallowing them whole.

* * *

**A/N:** Sora's 'picture' can be found on deviantArt: gallery/11743957#/d12x7no


	26. A Man Who Cares

**A/N: **I've uploaded _**TWO**_ chapters at once. Don't forget to read the other!

* * *

Chapter 26: A Man Who Cares

"Remember," Kairi explained, "don't step outside the barrier." The group began picking their way through the rubble that used to be the shuttle port. "And enemies can still get through it. Jocea's only stopping the storm from getting us."

The aforementioned girl nodded in confirmation, appearing untroubled and relatively at ease...as much as any of them could be with the storm raging outside her protective bubble and the darkness that yearned to swallow their hearts. The computer was hidden under her shirt, attached to her chest with a bioadhesive, so her hands were allowed to swing freely. J'nel held an N'Darie weapon called a V'pai. It was a metal cylinder with a retractable blade on one end, but he had enough skill to wield it like a double-bladed weapon. His girlfriend also sported a V'pai, the one that had belonged to K'nsolear. Max and Justin just had good, old, reliable blasters.

They continued to walk along a wild area that had formerly been a garden, Jocea in the middle guarded by Kairi and Max, Sora and Justin up front, and J'nel and Irene watching the rear. It was a wonder anything could survive here at all, but apparently genetic tinkering and natural selection were enough to produce something capable of it.

"So," Irene began, "now what do we do? Wander around until we stumble across whatever's causing this darkness?"

"No," Sora responded airily. "We just wander around until I figure out what we need to do." The cheery woman just rolled her eyes at him. More seriously, he looked around and found his eyes drawn to a fallen dome that seemed to be the center point of the ruins. "Let's try there," he suggested, indicating the dome. At the very least, it had a better vantage point.

"That's where the command center and market were," their resident genius remarked. Of course he'd already memorized the layout of the place. "The quickest way there is through C wing." Several wings radiated from the dome and Max gestured at the one closest to them. "That's provided the way isn't blocked," he added.

Sora shrugged and began looking for a way into the wing, but movement in the corner of his eye made him turn toward the twisted greenery. He thought he saw a glimmer of white disappear lithely behind a tree, like glimpsing the tail of a startled deer as it bounds away. Something told him it wasn't his imagination, so he went after it.

Or tried to. A hand grabbed his arm and yanked him back. Sora turned to see Justin with an exasperated smile on his face. Wordlessly, Justin pointed to Jocea's barrier, the one Sora had been about to step past.

"Oops," Sora said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Kairi shook her head at him. "Tell us before you decide to wander off after your hunches, okay?" she sighed.

"Right," Sora chuckled. He pointed towards the wild forest. "Let's go that way."

J'nel raised an eyebrow at him with skepticism. "Any particular reason?" he asked with a trace of scorn. Sora didn't blame him; it didn't seem like the brightest idea to him, either. But, the more he pondered it, the more it seemed like where they needed to go.

"Just a feeling," Sora answered honestly.

J'nel gazed at him for a moment before nodding. "Lead on, then," he conceded reluctantly, his arm gesturing onward.

Warily, the group made their way towards the garden gone rampant. What once must have been a marvel of nature was now a dark, gnarled mess of roots, vines, and branches. As the shadow of the first tree fell over them, a tingle ran up Sora's spine. He couldn't help feeling like they weren't welcome.

_Courage._

The word was barely a whisper in the back of his mind, but it strengthened him. "Courage," he agreed out loud, letting the word travel back to his companions to strengthen them as well.

Sora pushed his way past the foliage – gently, so as not to disturb the forest – trying to orient himself. The plants were obscuring much of the surroundings, making it difficult to find his bearings.

"Fascinating..." Max breathed in wonder. He ran a hand along a trunk. "The skin is tough, like cacti and kentalan, allowing them to survive extreme temperatures." Then he gestured at a place on the trunk that was exposed to the storm. "And they've developed a mutation for hyper-growth." The storm pummeled the plant tissue, ripping out a chunk occasionally, but as Max said, the tissue regrew as they watched.

"Fascinating," he repeated eagerly. "I wish I could collect a sample to analyze."

Irene eyed the plant uneasily. "I don't think it would like that..." she trailed off.

"Ridiculous," J'nel tried to say dismissively, but only managed to sound shaky.

Sora was still studying the tree when another glimmer of white shimmered in the corner of his eye. He whipped his head around to catch a glimpse of it, but again it vanished behind a tree. Again, he decided to follow it.

They continued warily, ever mindful of the looming plants. The current species had developed tall flowers with huge petals. Some of them even looked like they had glowing yellow eyes, staring hungrily at them. One of the ones near Justin was bent back near double in the wind, looking ready to snap forward...

Sora barely realized what was happening in time to tackle Justin out of the way before the plant smashed the ground where Justin had previously stood. A quick Firaga from Kairi shot past him to incinerate the flowery foe. The plant faded into dark wisps, a heart lighting up the gloom.

"Heartless!" Sora warned. More plants of varying sizes and color rustled antagonizingly at them, their Heartless eyes shining with malicious glee.

A red one spat a fireball at J'nel, who was pleasantly surprised when he was able to block it without getting burned. With a triumphant whoop, he sliced through the stalk with his V'pai, the unfortunate fire bug bursting into smoke. Sora noted this with interest; he'd thought the Keyblade was responsible for this remarkable blocking phenomenon. Perhaps it was just a property of magic in general.

Distracted by these musings, Sora failed to block a seed that was fired his way. It splashed over his face, blurring his vision. He swiped at it in retaliation, only to miss his target entirely. Scowling, he settled for incinerating it instead.

Blinded as he was, Sora didn't notice a dark shadow moving across the ground. Jocea watched it with trepidation. It seemed strange, a moving shadow with no source. She was pondering what to do about it when it approached Kairi, who was currently covered in ice. Out of the shadow leapt a black beast, its claws groping for Jocea's friend.

"No!" she shouted, lifting her palm toward the creature. An intense beam of pale blue light shot from it and speared the creature through its chest. It looked briefly surprised before it exploded into a dark mist, a pink heart emerging from its midst to float off to the heavens. Jocea just stared, equally surprised.

"Nice one!" Kairi chattered, unfrozen but shivering. "Thanks." She began rubbing her arms vigorously.

Jocea inclined her head in acknowledgment. She watched as Sora dispatched the last of the monster plants and everyone came together to regroup. "These are what you call Heartless?" she posed to Kairi. Her friend nodded. "Then why did hearts appear when they were defeated?"

"When you defeat them, you release the heart that the Heartless captured," Kairi explained.

Jocea frowned, dissatisfied with the answer. "But why do the Heart_less_ have hearts?"

Kairi opened her mouth to respond, then closed it, blinking. A frown appeared on her face as well. "Huh," she intoned with a thoughtful expression. "The Heartless are the hearts and the Nobodies are the bodies." She gave Jocea a puzzled look. "That does seem backwards, doesn't it?"

"Maybe they're called 'Heartless' because they're animalistic and ruthless," Justin suggested, hanging his blaster in the holster on his belt.

"That must be it," Kairi agreed. She tapped a finger on her chin. "And the Nobodies don't have anybody to be."

Sora relaxed into his characteristic pose. "Or you can do what I do and not think about it," he grinned goofily.

"You don't think about anything," Kairi teased, wrinkling her nose at him.

"But look how much time I save by not standing around thinking," he teased back.

Max also had a frown on his face. "Their fire and ice did not follow the laws of physics," he murmured quietly, sounding lost without his understanding of the universe to rely on.

"That's why it's magic," Kairi and Irene replied in unison. They began giggling, both at their timing and at the poor guy's plight.

A streak of white reminded Sora that they had places to be going. This time, he thought he could discern long hair vanish into the haze. "We should be moving on," Sora said, motioning for them to continue.

At one point, the forest thinned out where a wall had crumbled and spilled over into the ex-garden. The long hair disappeared behind the rubble and through the opening in the wall. Now convinced that someone was guiding them, Sora went after the spirit without hesitation. He clambered over the wrecked structure into a ruin resembling a hallway. Behind him was an impassable pile of debris.

"Hope we don't have to go that way," Sora remarked absentmindedly.

"That way leads back to the shuttle port," Max informed casually, as if commenting on the weather.

J'nel's head shot up to pierce Max with a startled stare. His eyes flicked to the impassable rubble, then back to Max, and settled on Sora. Finally, he smiled and shook his head ruefully. "Chel k've nasteniv," the N'Darie muttered in a hushed tone, sounding humbled. "Chel k've P'shativ." With a chuckle, he smirked at Sora, "Some feelings."

Sora just shrugged. "Feelings are all I have to go on, since I don't think," he joked, giving the group a reason to laugh. They could all use some light-heartedness to ease the tension.

After he'd calmed, J'nel raised his arms slightly in a gesture of faith. "Lead on, then," he said confidently, putting his trust in Sora.

Grateful for this show of support, Sora began leading them through this new area. Justin took his place next to Sora as always, but something seemed to be on his mind. It looked like he was debating whether to say something or not.

"Who are you following?" Justin finally asked.

Sora nearly tripped, the question was so unexpected. The musician was looking at him just like Karai had, and Sora knew there was no point in denying it. "I'm not sure," he answered honestly. "Someone friendly," he added. This he was convinced of as well.

A spark of mischief sparkled in Justin's eye. "Did you just admit to having visions?" he jibed. Sora's scowl caused him to chuckle. "Don't worry," he assured. "I've never believed in this prophet stuff; I believed in K'nsolear." He gazed at Sora seriously. "Just like I believe in you."

Sora could only whisper a heartfelt, "Thanks."

With one last smile, Justin concentrated on their surroundings again.

* * *

The end of the hallway, and the entrance to the central dome, was drawing near. At every junction, their flighty guide had directed them true, detouring them past all the literal and figurative roadblocks. More Heartless appeared occasionally to harass them, but it was nothing they couldn't handle.

A shiver ran down Sora's spine as they came closer. A somber mood seemed to have settled on them all. They could all feel it; the waves of darkness. Something was waiting for them on the other side of the hallway's exit, something powerful and malevolent. What they were here for.

Sora was not surprised to see someone waiting for them by the door to the dome. Even without the help of colors, Sora easily recognized her as Vindeflei.

_Thanks for the help_, he thought to her.

She smiled with that same serenity she shared with her mother and sisters. Turning to the aged panel that operated the door, she hovered her palm lightly on it. The circuits fizzled and died, causing the doors to open with a groan.

A mess greeted them on the other side. The different floors of the dome had all come crashing down into one heap of metal, stone, and plastic. But, in the center, there was a large, flat area, almost like a clearing in the woods. In the center of the clearing was a mahogany desk with a tall-backed desk chair facing away from them.

As they drew warily closer, the chair swiveled to face them, revealing an old man. He appeared relatively harmless in his sweater and loafers...except for the tsunami of darkness radiating from him.

"Sora, what took you so long?" the man jeered. His voice made Sora's neck prickle – or rather, voices. It was like the time Riku had been possessed and sounded like himself and Xehanort's Heartless at the same time. This time, one sounded like a gentle old man, which seemed to fit the body. The other was also aged, but much lower and definitely more menacing.

"Harfet!" a number of the group barked.

The old man leered at them with disturbing amber eyes. "Not quite."

Sora's anger flared as realization hit him. "Astan," he growled ferociously. He felt his dark feelings stirring in his heart.

"In the flesh," he chuckled evilly. "Or Harfet's flesh, at any rate." He continued to ramble on arrogantly, "Normally I don't get the luxury of temporary possession like this. Burns through the host's life energy before I can do anything. But these Shoacs are marvelously strong and this one was ripe for the picking, thanks to the little half-breed prophet."

Tired of the monologue and not even pausing to consider how stupid it might be, Sora charged in a blind rage. He leapt high, intending to smash the traitor for all he was worth, but suddenly found himself dropping to the ground, his energy drained. Dark chains wrapped around his limbs, lashing him to the ground. With nothing else to do, he glowered at his enemy, wishing with his entire being that looks could kill...or at the very least, maim.

"Your friend isn't the only one with a Shoac computer," Astan gloated, patting the desk drawers. A flick of his hands sent more of the chains to bind the rest of his friends. "And you're lucky my associate requires oxygen. I do believe you're beyond the girl's scope." Sora berated himself for being so careless. He cursed his anger and the darkness it fueled, a vile defect in his heart. "Speaking of which..." Astan carried on, snapping his fingers.

A Dusk appeared and snaked over to Jocea. The girl began struggling to get away, but to no avail. It didn't attack, though. It just awkwardly reached down her shirt to remove her computer. With one last jerk, it vanished, taking the computer with it.

Astan returned his hungry gaze to Sora. "How I long to dispose of you myself," he lamented, "but this being just doesn't have the energy for it." An evil grin spread across his face. "I'll just have my associate take care of you."

A dark flame flared between Sora and the desk. As the flame cleared, Sora lifted his eyes to the Restless, taking in his feline features and green hair. K'nsolear.

He heard gasps of confusion behind him, but was relieved to hear them turn to insults and cries of outrage. No one was going to spiral back into depression. Good.

The chains binding Sora dissipated and he quickly pushed himself into a fighting stance, albeit a little confused. "Put on a good show, boys," Astan called.

In one fluid motion, the Restless K'nsolear whipped out a V'pai and slashed at Sora. He hastily blocked, the impact jarring his entire body. K'nsolear was faster and stronger than Sora. Of course...

The confusing part was that the V'pai wasn't K'nsolear's Keyblade. It wasn't until Sora received his first opportunity to land a blow that he figured it out. He brought his Keyblade across, sure to hit the Restless square in the ribs, but it was stopped by a red light that spread over K'nsolear's body like a second skin. It even formed a layer on the V'pai as it smashed into Sora's side instead. The boy was flung across the clearing with far more force than could be explained by the weapon alone. Coughing out a Curaga, Sora tried to push himself to his feet.

K'nsolear's computer, the one that was never found, was his Keyblade.

The Restless sneered at him as it lazily closed the distance between them, clearly thinking it had the upper hand. Then Vindeflei's spirit walked calmly out of the surrounding rubble and tread lightly across the battlefield. She came up behind the Restless made of her cousin's memories and placed her hand on its shoulder as the V'pai came up. It froze, as did the Restless, stilled by the hand that this body remembered well.

A ball of white light drifted down from above, growing as it descended. The warmth of its glow washed over Sora, renewing his strength. As it reach the ground, it stretched into a person, a translucent twin of the Restless behind him. The real K'nsolear.

Now this was just plain weird! The spirit, hearing the thought, smiled kindly in sympathy. He gestured at Sora's Keyblade. Curious, Sora held up his weapon for K'nsolear to examine. Sweeping his eyes along the weapon briefly, the man's spirit lifted his hand and gently touched the tip. Instantly, _Ultima Weapon_ shimmered like it was being desummoned, but when the shimmers cleared, Sora's hand was not empty. There was a whirling ball of color sitting in his palms.

K'nsolear gave Sora one last smile of encouragement before he and Vindeflei disappeared in swirls of light.

"Wait!" Sora called after them desperately, lifting his hands skyward. "What do I do with this?" He waved the unfamiliar, Shoac-computer form of his Keyblade above his head.

_Turn what lies in your heart into energy._

Energy... These computers could turn emotions into energy. Was that really all he had to do? What emotion could he try? Well...love conquers all...

Sora curled his fingers around the tiny object and loved. Loved Kairi, loved Riku, loved his mom, loved Donald and Goofy. He thought of all his friends across the worlds. Then, he lifted his palm at the Restless. A broad, pale blue column of light shot towards Astan's creation, only to be stopped by a shield of the same color. In that instant, when the energy of their emotions made contact, their hearts connected. Sora felt all the love K'nsolear had felt in his life and knew they were too evenly matched for this to work.

The Restless responded with a beam of his own, a sickly yellow-green color. Muscles tensing, Sora tried to dodge, but the beam found him anyway. He needn't have worried, though; the emotion the Restless K'nsolear had chosen was hate, and when it met Sora, he was able to shield himself with hate. This emotion was not nearly as strong, but both knew it. They hated anyone who would try to hurt the people they loved. Harfet, Allenson, Xehanort's Heartless, Xemnas...Astan. No, their hate was equally matched, as well.

So...dodging didn't actually work. Was he just supposed to stand there while they fired back and forth? Sora's reflexes didn't like this idea. They were so used to sword-play that Sora actually had to think about not jumping out of the way. This sure was one odd fight.

Next, Sora though about how everyone had mentioned belief and how their belief in him had held such gravity. Thinking of the cause he believed in, he fought for, Sora fired a red beam. It was stopped by K'nsolear's own cause that he believed in.

Irritated, Sora began thinking of Astan, letting his anger grow. He poured his frustration behind a dark green beam. Again, K'nsolear met it with his own anger. Man, the guy sure had a temper!

What part of Sora's personality did people most comment on? Well, nearly everyone said he was infinitely cheerful, so he tried his excessive happiness. But the bright yellow light also failed. K'nsolear had just as much joy; the difference was that Sora was quite demonstrative, while K'nsolear was most definitely not.

Out of sheer desperation, he flung his hand out, not caring what he generated. A deep violet beam shot from his hand, but quickly fizzled out. After all, desperation hardly ever works.

Taking a few deep, soothing breaths, Sora closed his eyes. He needed to look deep within himself for something that K'nsolear wouldn't be able to match. Winds began to pluck at his clothes and swirl at his feet. It was there, he could feel it. He just needed to find it. The winds grew more intense, but Sora was lost in concentration. He didn't notice himself rise on the winds, nor the shouts of warning from behind. There!

A beam of gold and silver arced from his palm, striking his foe straight through the chest. A cry of surprise and pain came from the Restless. It was working! Whatever this emotion was, K'nsolear could not even produce it, let alone equal it.

The Restless dropped to a knee as it slowly weakened. Curiously, Sora suddenly felt the need to do the same. He became aware of the fact that his strength was draining, as well. The cries for him to stop finally filtered into his ears. He didn't, though. He was willing to do whatever it took to stop Astan, even if it killed him.

Sora gasped in realization. Glancing at the desk, Sora saw the look of anticipation in the traitor's face as he watched the scene unfold. This is what Astan wanted, which meant Sora didn't. Tiredly, he dropped his arm, letting the winds bring him gently back to the ground.

Seeing this, Astan howled in frustration. Sora smirked triumphantly. "Sorry," he huffed, exhaustion starting to set in. "Not today."

He understood now. The gold and silver beam was his life's energy. The Restless couldn't match it because K'nsolear had already spent his life. But, to defeat the Restless would have taken all Sora had to give. It would have taken Sora's life, which Astan had been counting on. Sora _was_ willing to give his life, but not if it played right into his enemy's hand.

He realized something else, too. His life was definitely _not_ an emotion. How had K'nsolear phrased it? What lay in his heart? Emotions certainly lay in his heart, as did his life. But his heart held far more than that.

Grinning with his revelation, Sora unleashed his Light on the dark creature. His face fell in disappointment when the Restless also called forth Light. He'd forgotten he was dealing with a Keyblade Wielder momentarily.

The hand gripping his Keyblade lifted to his chest, resting over his heart. There was one more thing he could try, but the thought of doing so disturbed him greatly. He wasn't sure he could handle it. But...he had no other options at this point.

Sora raised his hand and unleashed his darkness on the Restless.

An ebony beam issued from his palm. Streaks of the other colors flashed in it occasionally, their hues dark to match the beam. It seemed like all his emotions had combined into one, culminating in this form. And yet, it was only one possibility. Light and dark were just two sides of the same coin. He gazed at what his darkness had produced and couldn't help but admire its beauty.

A defect. How can anything so beautiful be a defect?

The beam only lasted for a short pulse, a few seconds at most. Sora did not have very much darkness, after all. It wasn't even enough to be significant, normally, but the Shoac computer was able to enhance it.

The ebony column struck the Restless in the exact spot that the gold and silver beam had. In its weakened state, this was enough to finish it. The Restless form of K'nsolear dissolved into dark wisps that were carried away into the storms. In its place was a simple, silver Keyblade with a quill pen forming the grooves of the key as its only ornamentation.

Aware of Astan glowering at him, Sora quickly snatched up _Storyteller_ before his foe could retaliate. K'nsolear waited patiently in the Crossroads with his hands folded, a broad smile on his face. He looked every bit the same as in Justin's picture, even down to the tan tunic and pants tied by a blue sash.

"That," Sora began, lifting a finger, "was one _strange_ fight."

K'nsolear laughed, a very pleasant sound. "Yes, I imagine it was quite different than what you are used to," he agreed. Just from one sentence, Sora could tell that K'nsolear was a charismatic speaker. "I must say I was amused seeing my friends in combat." Remembering a humorous moment where Irene had looked immensely surprised to have defeated a Heartless, Sora could not help laughing.

"Thank you for helping them," K'nsolear whispered seriously in gratitude. Surprised by the sudden change in tone, Sora glanced up and saw tears shining in his eyes, though they didn't fall. They couldn't. Seeing his friends nearly succumb to their despair had truly hurt K'nsolear.

Sora broke out a dazzling grin to cheer the man up. "Like I told Chris," he boasted, "there's no way I'm going to ignore anyone who needs my help." Remembering his own manners, Sora said, "Thank _you_ for helping me. I would have been toast otherwise." He paused, then added, "Oh, and give my best to Chris and Vindeflei for me, will you?"

A humorous grin split K'nsolear's face. "Only if you give our best to our friends."

"It's a deal!" Sora said brightly. But there were more pressing matters that needed to be discussed. "So, about this darkness..."

K'nsolear sobered. "You will need to destroy Harfet to sever Astan's ties to these worlds. That will end his meddling and return these worlds to the path they were meant to be on."

"The path you put them on?" Sora queried.

"Yes," K'nsolear confirmed. He grinned lopsidedly. "I supposed I should thank you for that, too."

Sora waived it away. "Like you said: Astan is meddling. It's my job to stop it."

K'nsolear regarded him thoughtfully. "Perhaps that is why you were allowed to see visions like Aunt Karai and me. We were Chosen by God to protect our worlds from the darkness, but you have been Chosen by someone to protect _all_ worlds."

"Hojevah," Sora responded promptly.

"Hm?" K'nsolear hummed, distracted.

"The person who chose me," Sora explained. "His name is Hojevah." Interested, K'nsolear gave Sora his full attention. "He's one of the Chasers who chooses Keyblade Wielders. There's three of them, one for each realm. Hojevah takes care of the Light Realm." When K'nsolear said nothing, Sora continued chattering. "They also Awaken you when you're ready to take on the responsibility of being a Wielder. Unfortunately, Astan's master plan includes getting rid of them." ..._And he's close to succeeding._

"They're mortal?" K'nsolear blurted in disbelief.

Sora scratched his head. "Well, I don't think they're mortal, but they can definitely be taken out of the picture. Whether or not they can be killed..." He trailed off. With a shrug and a pained smile, he admitted, "I don't actually know much about them. I just know they're in trouble."

Looking thoughtful again, K'nsolear postulated, "These beings sound very much like the Shoac; very powerful and able to influence much, but not God."

Sora mulled that one over. He'd never thought much about higher powers before, but he supposed one had to exist. Concepts like Destiny and Fate wouldn't make sense, otherwise. Destiny, Fate, God... Maybe they were all just different names for the same thing. He agreed with K'nsolear, though; whatever this higher power was, it was not the Chasers.

"So, when did you become a Wielder?" Sora asked, another matter that he was curious about.

K'nsolear answered promptly. "When Vindeflei gave me the computer. I knew as soon as I touched it what it was, though I didn't have a name for it at the time. I didn't think much on it; my destiny was upon me and, truthfully, very little mattered to me during that brief time between Vindeflei's death and my own."

A flash from _Storyteller_ signaled the end of their conversation.

"Time to finish it," K'nsolear proclaimed softly.

"Right," Sora said, closing a fist in front of his face.

The ruins of Colony III-α appeared in front of him once more. As usual, _Storyteller_ had reverted to a sphere, which his clothes absorbed readily. This time, he decided to utilize the burst of energy from the sphere. His clothes morphed into the tan tunic and pants K'nsolear had been wearing, _Ultima Weapon_ turning to _Storyteller._ Gripping the hilt of K'nsolear's weapon, Sora could feel the core of the Shoac's computer within the blade still. Perfect.

In one fluid motion, Sora raised the Keyblade above his head, sheathing it in a layer of light. He hurled it at the old man behind the desk with a fierce battle cry. It streaked through the air, passing through everything that stood in its path, and struck Harfet straight through the heart.

Both voices shrieked in pain and anger, but eventually the menacing voice faded, leaving only the death throes of a gentle old man's voice. Sora squeezed his eyes shut tight, trying to block out the sound. Over and over, he reminded himself that Harfet was an enemy, too, not an innocent victim.

When the noise ceased, Sora felt it was safe to open his eyes again. There was no trace of Harfet left, not even a body. Just _Storyteller_ lying on the chair where it had fallen. The job done, Sora reverted back to his normal clothes, letting the Keyblade return to its place at the Crossroads.

"Hey! A little help?"

Sora turned to the voice, remembering the others finally. They were still lashed to the ground by the dark chains. The computer must've continued powering everything, even with Harfet gone. Good thing, too; Sora liked being able to breathe.

He briefly entertained the notion of using the computer to free them, but opted for the more familiar option. They were just chains, after all. Imagining that they all had locks on them keeping them together, Sora lifted his Keyblade. The tip flashed once and the chains flashed in response before dissipating into the air.

The toll of the battle caught up with him, then, and Sora staggered, his limbs heavy. His girlfriend immediately rushed over to steady him. She gently helped him to the ground before he collapsed completely.

"What," J'nel muttered in confused wonder, "was that all about?"

"Later," Irene groaned. She rubbed a sore spot on her bum. "Let's just get out of here."

"Oh," Sora panted. "Before I forget, Chris, Vindeflei, and K'nsolear send their best."

"How...?" J'nel began, but shut his mouth quickly. He threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "Later. I know."

"Problem," Max inserted. He was already examining the desk drawers and the computers within. "We're not going to be able to move this."

"Can you just extend the shield to the shuttle port?" Kairi suggested.

"Maybe someone with a Shoac's brain capacity could," he answered. A wry smile formed on his face. "I'm not quite there yet."

Jocea sighed in guilt, looking down at her empty hands. Growing angry, they balled into fists that shook with passion. A stubborn jut to her chin, she thrust her hand out, palm up, as if she expected the small copy of the Shoac's computer to suddenly appear there. Then, with a swirl of light, it did.

"Hey!" Sora burst, springing up with excited energy. "A Keyblade!"

"This?" Jocea spluttered, waving the computer at him.

"Sure!" he enthused. "It doesn't actually have to be a blade. It's whatever works best for you." He stilled somewhat, a knowing smile splitting his face. "Had any strange dreams lately?"

She frowned at him. "The night before you came."

"You were on a stained-glass platform and you had to make some choices," he rattled off, relishing that her eyes grew wider with each word. Grinning, he placed an arm around her shoulders. "Never fear, my young pupil, I shall impart upon you the ways of the Keyblade."

"Later," Kairi scolded, thwacking him on the head.

His face fell marginally. "Right, right," he placated dully. "Back to the ship first."

Kairi smirked at him. "Plus, your adrenaline's probably going to burn out again in the next minute." She quirked an eyebrow smugly when his face fell even more.

Truthfully, he _was_ starting to feel wobbly again, but he wasn't about to admit that. "Well, come _on_, then," he urged. "Let's get going."

They all took one last look around Colony III-α before leaving its ruins to rest in peace and quiet. It seemed fitting that the story should end here, where it had begun. Out of the corner of his eye, Sora even thought he saw many shining, white figures wave at them in thanks. But, then again, it could have been his imagination.

* * *

The return trip went by more quickly, owing to the fact that Sora slept through most of it. When he was awake, his time was spent being badgered with questions and avoiding the answers he couldn't give. Jocea, though, he told everything, which the girl took very well.

"What can I do?" she asked with blazing determination in her eyes.

"You can stay here and make sure these worlds don't fall to darkness again," Kairi said sternly, giving Jocea the frown that made Sora feel like a two-year old caught in the cookie jar.

"But I want to go with you," she whined pitifully, sounding almost heartbroken.

Kairi sighed and smiled kindly. "I know, Jo, I know." Sora choked down the guffaws that the nickname brought on. Trust Kairi to make a close friend out of the shyest person there. "You might get the chance before this is over, but for now, your place is here."

The girl's lip quivered as she obviously tried to fight back tears. Suddenly, she rushed forward and grabbed Kairi in a tight hug. After recovering from the shock, Kairi returned the embrace, stroking her friend's hair. "I promise I'll come back to see you as soon as I can," Kairi murmured soothingly.

Taking this as his cue to leave, Sora quietly slipped out the door, letting them have some time alone. Instead, he wandered to the bridge to 'supervise' their landing.

As soon as the inhabitants of the house heard the ruckus, they all piled out, looking anxiously into the sky. Seeing this, Max turned off the invisibility cloak. Karai, Tony, and Malae were there, as were two men and a woman, one of the men holding the woman's hand.

Jocea was the first out of the ship as soon as the landing platform was down. She bolted straight for Karai and threw her arms around her mother. Tears of relief leaked out of Karai's eyes to leave blue stains on her daughter's shirt, but neither cared. Soon, Tony and Malae also joined in the embrace, the family grateful to be united again.

Justin was the next to exit. "Sharon! David!" he hailed, waving at the unfamiliar people. The single man and the woman, both with fiery red hair and ice-blue eyes, waved back.

"And Scott!" Irene trilled, skipping behind Justin. The man holding Sharon's hand also waved, a bright smile on his face. Max and J'nel shuffled along behind them, the N'Darie looking guilty and apologetic.

"Ye left withoot us?" Sharon teased them lightly. The friends looked down in shame.

"Sorry," Irene muttered sadly, "we just..."

"No worries," David interrupted kindly. "We know ye had to."

"And ye," Sharon said sharply, piercing J'nel with those striking eyes. When he raised his frightened gaze to her, her face softened again. "Ye're lookin' thin agin."

J'nel blinked at her for a few moments, then burst out laughing. The others soon joined him, everything forgiven.

Sora and Kairi watched this from the shadow of the _S'teronah_, not wanting to intrude. The family had finished with their heartfelt reunion and Jocea was now conversing with her sister. Seeing Kairi looking her way, the girl beckoned Kairi over excitedly. And, just because the universe loves to confuse Sora, Karai decided to take Kairi's place by his side.

"Sora," she said in a gripping tone full of relief, apprehension, surprise, and confusion.

Grinning smugly at her, he boasted, "Alive and kicking."

"So it seems," she murmured. After a moment's consideration, she asked, "_Were_ you prepared to give your life?"

Sora pondered this question thoroughly before replying, "No, not really." He could have stopped there; he'd technically answered what she'd asked. But he guessed that wasn't the answer she was looking for. "But dying wouldn't have accomplished anything this time." He paused, glad that Kairi wasn't there, and took a deep breath before continuing, "If dying would accomplish something that I could never do alive, then I think I would." He grinned sideways at her. "Until then, I'm happy to keep on living."

The older woman stared at him long and hard, perhaps trying to scrutinize his destiny by scrutinizing his very being. She must have found what she was looking for, for she hummed in satisfaction.

"So," she began, clearly changing subjects. "You have seen."

Sora balked. He'd hoped she'd forgotten! "Yeah, yeah," he drawled. "We're both meant to protect the worlds and things work differently here, yahta, yahta." He held up a finger in warning. "But this does not make me a prophet."

Her eyes sparkled in amusement. "You can help," she stated. "That is all that really matters."

Just then, Irene managed to catch everyone's attention and called them all together.

"So," Scott was saying merrily, "you've managed to save the world from itself again, this time with the help of some extraordinary kids." Sora felt his ears begin to burn. Then, to Sora's alarm, Scott's face lit up like a school girl's with the latest gossip, only worse. "That'll make a great story."

"No!" Sora and Kairi shouted together.

"No," Sora repeated, mustering all the authority he could. "This was never meant to happen. In fact, it _didn't _happen," he intimated.

"_What_ happened?" Irene asked innocently, playing along.

"Exactly."

A tug at Sora's arm diverted his attention to Kairi. "We should get going," she said.

"Right," he sighed.

"You're leaving?" Irene pouted. "So soon?"

Kairi smiled apologetically. "Yes," she answered. "We need to be moving on."

Mischief glinted in Karai's eyes. "You can't even stay for dinner?"

Right on cue, Sora's stomach growled. He rubbed a hand over his stomach, grinning sheepishly. "I suppose it won't hurt to stay a _little_ longer."

* * *

**A/N: **Whew! Finally managed to get my imagination cranking again. Long story short, a bunch of things, mostly involving this little thing called college, happened to me at once after I finished Chapter 24 and my poor, overworked brain has only recently recovered. But, to celebrate my grand return, I have given you two chapters! ...Actually, what happened is I wrote it all by hand first and only realized it was too frickin long for one chapter when I started typing it. :P

I doubt this will mean much to anyone, but I'm a spectroscopist (going to Berkeley for grad school in the fall, w00t w00t!). Basically, I use lasers to study things, which meant I got a kick out of describing how the computer works. For instance, I was so debating saying that Sora's emotions were columnated into the beam of darkness. I was also gigglesnorting when I wrote that a few seconds was a short pulse. For lasers, short pulses are atto- or femto-seconds. XD!

**New Characters:**

Vindeflei: _Amazing Grace _(2001)  
Harfet: _Amazing Grace _(2001)  
K'nsolear: _Amazing Grace _(2001)  
David: _Amazing Grace _(2001)  
Sharon: _Amazing Grace _(2001)  
Scott: _Amazing Grace _(2001)


	27. Replication

Chapter 27: Replication

Damn him! Damn him and his weird eyes! Damn him and his I'm-not-taking-any-shit-from-you business! Damn him to hell!

Oh, and one more thing: FUCK!

Pence looked up from his laptop excitedly as the battle weary crew trudged in. "Guys, check this out!" he whooped. "The Halfhearted have another weakness. It's–"

"–sound, we know," Yukari finished for him irritably. She lifted Onsaken and stared blankly at the computer nerd with bad timing.

Olette peered at Ri in concern. "Hey, are you alright?"

No. The bastard figured out she was bloody deaf and was going to start making life hell.

"Of course not," she sniffed. "That Heartless stole my thunder."

"You don't know Thunder," Roxas pointed out mockingly. She just gave his jovial smirk a withering glare.

"What Heartless?" Hayner wondered.

Riku proceeded to retell the fight with the Rizlord for them, giving Yukari a moment alone with her thoughts. The asshole had assured her he wouldn't think less of her because she was deaf, but she didn't believe it for one second. Oh sure, he wouldn't _want_ to think less of her, he would try very hard _not_ to think less of her, but in the end he would. Subconsciously, of course. Against his will, of course. But he would. They all did. They just didn't understand...not even her so called parents.

She snorted bitterly. _Parents_, bah! They were only her parents in the sense that they mated and bred her. That's all she really was to them, a filly to carry on their line. A goddamn defective filly. A fragile, cracked china filly that needed to be hidden away from the world, a harsh world that could break her with the gentlest touch. What a load of bullshit.

Onsaken was hooked on a belt loop, dangling over the side of her chair. A hearing aid, that's all it was meant to be. A big, damn, hi-tech hearing aid. The bulky prototype was designed to be able to interpret complex sounds like music. So far no corrective procedures had managed that. It was the government that first noticed what a great weapon it was.

"Ri, are you sure you're alright?" Naminé frowned, interrupting Riku's narration. "You seem especially irritable."

"Leave her alone," Riku came to her rescue. "If she wants to be irritable, nothing you say or do will stop her." His voice said this indifferently, but his heart said this sympathetically. With a shrug, he returned to his tale.

Why did he have to be so damn understanding about all of this? That only made her temper flare up even hotter. Her mind quickly scrambled for the song she'd been humming earlier in the Gummi. It was her favorite thing for keeping her temper in check. She snorted. How ironic.

"Glad you thought it was funny," Roxas snapped at her. "My head sure didn't."

"Huh?" Ri grunted unattractively, wondering why he was offended. His head...? Oh! Her snort must have been ill-timed. "Sorry," she muttered sincerely, beginning to feel guilty that she'd let her mood spread. "I tuned everything out and started daydreaming about five minutes ago. Selective hearing, you know?"

"I'll bet," she heard Riku say under his breath. It was too quiet even for Riku's ears to pick up, but Onsaken's sensitive prongs snatched it out of the air with ease. Her mind immediately started running through the biology of the process before quickly severing that line of thought. Life sciences made her head hurt, especially when they involved anatomy. More specifically, hers.

Little did Riku know how selective her hearing was. It was a blessing really, to be able to tune out the meaningless noise, the empty promises, the hurtful lies. Hearts always told the truth; that's why Yukari chose to listen to them instead. For instance, her ears – or rather, Onsaken – heard Riku's smooth, untroubled voice, but her heart heard the guilt that Riku's heart was practically shouting.

Her temper flared again. She quickly searched for a distraction and found Pence's laptop, the Commsphere entry still on the screen. "Do you mind?" she asked quickly, snatching up the computer without even bothering for an answer. Hopefully, the fluffy goodness of dog-boy and Kairi's adventures would nauseate her enough to forget to be mad.

Family feud...boring. Paranoid king...boring. Saving a heart from darkness...boring. Eccentric baboon...hilarious, but didn't appear often enough. _Romeo and Juliet_ spin-off...sufficiently nauseating. Dog-boy using the sound of his roar to defeat Halfhearted...slightly amusing. She'd never let him hear the end of it.

It didn't get interesting until the Restless showed up. She read with rapt attention as the article described a new dimension to the mysterious Keyblade. Then it moved on to the Keyholes...

"Not good...," Yukari breathed grimly, her eyes frozen on the simple, monumental conclusion.

"Is something wrong with my computer?" Pence blurted anxiously. Yukari was too shocked to find her voice, so she merely shook her head mutely.

Riku's eyebrows knit together as he frowned in concern. "What is it?" he questioned urgently, reading her silence effortlessly. No one had ever managed to read her as easily as he could. At another time, that conclusion might have ticked her off, but at the moment, she couldn't care less.

Yukari took a deep breath. They were _not_ going to like what she was about to tell them, not at all. "Astan is a Keyblade Wielder," she forced out.

The silence that followed was one to rival her own personal silence. After much effort and many false starts, Roxas blurted, "What?"

Yukari wrenched her eyes up to the Master of Twilight's. "Astan is a Keyblade Wielder," she repeated with grim finality. "It's the only possible explanation for how the Keyhole was unsealed."

"Then we need to find Twilight Town's Keyhole," Riku stressed. He stood abruptly, running an anxious hand through his hair. Spinning wildly, he faced Hayner, Pence, and Olette. "Do you have _any_ idea where it could be?" he demanded of them.

They began discussing the possible places the Keyhole might be while Yukari took the opportunity to finish skimming the entries. "You said you're the first Master of Twilight, right?" she asked without looking up.

"Yes," Riku answered shortly. "Why?"

"But that doesn't mean there weren't other Wielders assigned to this world," she muttered, thinking aloud. "Restless can let darkness in without opening the Keyhole..." She let her thought trail off unfinished, returning her attention to the screen.

"So you're saying we could be looking for a Restless instead of an open Keyhole," Roxas clarified. "Great..."

"Too bad there isn't some sort of Keyblade Wielder registry," Pence remarked, scratching his chin. "That'd make this a lot easier." His eyes lit up excitedly, his hand dropping to his lap. "I bet me and the guys could do that." He was positively wriggling with anticipation now. "Looking through books, uncovering histories that no one ever knew –"

Hayner gave him a skeptical look. "If you think I'm going to do that after all the work we did on this year's summer project –"

"Yeah, since busting the 'Seven Wonders of Twilight Town' was so hard," Roxas snarked, rolling his eyes.

"Now that was kind of fun," Hayner admitted, pointing at Roxas for emphasis. "But that was last year. This year was 'The History of Twilight Town' and it was a lot of hard work for a boring result."

"Oh..." Roxas blinked, unsettled. A disturbed look flashed across his face. "Right..." Yukari didn't blame him. She found the mere _idea_ of skewed timelines completely unnerving, herself.

"Anyway," Pence inserted, glaring at Hayner. "I wasn't talking about you. _You –_" He swept his hand in a circle, indicating his friends. "– are the gang. _Leon, Cid, and Tron –_" He indicated his laptop. "– are the guys."

"Shut up a sec!" Yukari snapped. Her eyes poured worriedly over what Sora and Kairi found on Colony III-α. "You're kidding," she breathed. "_He can possess people, too?_ Why is it that the bad guys always seem to have crazy superpowers from the start, but the good guys always have to work for them?"

"It's good storytelling," Naminé offered.

Growling, Yukari shut the laptop, actively concentrating on being gentle. "Well, if this is a story, then this is the part where we seek out the old, wise master for advice.

"Right," Riku agreed. "Time to go pay Yen Sid a visit."

Roxas glanced towards the exit, noticing the increased baddie activity. With a concerned look, he turned back to Hayner, Pence, and Olette. "Will you guys be alright on your own?"

The three Twilight Town residents grinned at each other, reaching behind their respective pieces of furniture and pulling out weapons; a sword for Hayner, a wand for Olette, and a shield for Pence.

"This," Hayner began, brandishing the shining, steel blade, "was our other summer project."

Riku snorted and covered his mouth, trying to keep a hold of himself. "Original," he managed to sputter between choked guffaws. Roxas had not been so reserved and was rolling on the floor, clutching his sides. Even Naminé was giggling uncontrollably.

"I hate being the new person," Ri grumbled to herself.

"Yeah, yeah," Pence relented, "we know. That's just how our strengths managed to play out."

"Sorry," Roxas gasped, wiping his eyes. It seemed like he was regaining his composure. "It's just I look at you and imagine –" Then he burst back into laughter and was lost.

"Seriously, though, we'll be fine," Olette assured them. She began trying to shoo them out the door. "Go save the world."

"Yeah, laughy-pants," Yukari jibed with a hint of exasperation, striding over to the still-incapacitated Roxas, "time to leave." She and Riku each grabbed an arm and proceeded to frog-march Roxas away, Naminé chortling along behind them.

* * *

Yukari gazed out the windows of the ridiculous, fairyland train that served as public transit to the mysterious Yen Sid and his tower. Colors swirled through the immense blackness that surrounded them, only the glow of the magical train tracks piercing the dark. This had to be one of the fabled "Lanes Between," a myth she'd run across while researching her escape.

Her escape. She'd done it! She'd escaped, and there wasn't a thing they could have done about it...except grind their teeth in frustration. Ha! There were only a few more loose ends to tie up to ensure her newfound freedom was permanent. Then, she'd be free to go where she wished, see who she wanted, and live her life the way she chose to live it.

"We're almost there," Roxas broke through her daydreaming. "Technically, Yen Sid's tower is on its own world, but it's small and close enough to Twilight Town that they usually get lumped together."

She took one last look at the brilliance of hyperspace and the infinite possibilities it represented before the train screeched to a halt outside the tower. Sighing, she turned her back on the boundless freedom it offered and stepped onto what she would describe as a habitable asteroid. The group made their way to the physics-defying tower that loomed almost sternly over the small lawn surrounding it.

As soon as she stepped through the door, Yukari felt the hair on her body stand up straight. The air was charged with energy and almost seemed to crackle.

Rikku floated out into the room, glancing around her in awe. "Woah..." she breathed, summing up Yukari's impression of the place.

"You get used to it," Roxas shrugged, then shivered. "Sort of." He led them towards the stairs (which ended in a portal of sorts), saying, "This place is usually full of one bad thing or another, so stay on your guard."

Riku's eyes flicked towards Onsaken as Ri readied it to use, then up to her face. A dangerous grin crawled across his face. "Yukari can take care of anything we run into," he suggested with devious delight.

Her eyes narrowing, Yukari bit, "I hate you."

His grin only grew wider. "No, you don't." When she kept glaring daggers at him, he shrugged and pointed out, "You need the practice, sooner rather than later."

"What about the Keyhole and/or Restless?" she persisted stubbornly.

"It's waited this long, it can wait a bit longer," Riku said sternly. "Making sure you can survive is more important than being a few minutes earlier."

Realizing he was right (and that the others would surely step in if things got too dangerous), Ri stomped out her displeasure on the stairs and led the way into a room filled with Shadows and Dusks. When the Shadows weren't flattened to the ground, the Dusks were on the ceiling, all of them trying to maneuver behind her. After an infuriatingly long time trying to chase them all down, she finally managed to dispatch the last one. Red-faced, panting, and extremely cross, she glowered at her companions, who had done nothing to help her.

"Only three staircases and two rooms to go," Roxas simpered smugly.

A staircase, a room, another staircase, and another room later, Yukari had figured out a few things:

1. She could use Onsaken to disorient Shadows and Dusks long enough to squash them like the pests they were.

2. Soldiers got very annoying with their whooshy, spinny attacks that could hit her from across the room.

3. Onsaken was very good at vibrating weapons out of their owners' appendages.

4. Riku and Roxas were annoying little bastards who liked to attack her when her guard was down. ("Constant vigilance!")

5. She could actually fend them off.

"Remember, small movements," Riku instructed. "Don't waste energy flailing around."

"And watch out for your elbows locking," Roxas coached. "That's a good way to injure your arm."

With a sympathetic smile, Naminé felt the need to add, "But you're doing very well for a beginner."

Yukari scraped the loose hairs off her sweaty face, not acknowledging them. _One more staircase_. She staggered on, eager to reach the top.

Three Shadows began skittering around in front of her. A short vibe from Onsaken and three solid whacks took care of them. Next came a Dragoon, which was confused to find its spear vibrating out of its grasp, then find itself dead from a slash to its thin waist. Some Golems made a pathetic attempt at stopping her. And the last to bar her way was a Large Body.

"No fair!" she complained. "You're uphill." She growled and readied herself, then grinned evilly as an idea came to her. Time for a bit of payback.

The Heartless slapped its rubbery belly, preparing for a charge. As it lurched forward, she dove aside. It sailed past her, straight down the stairs to where her so-called mentors were supervising. She straightened in satisfaction as they squawked in surprise.

"Oooo," she gloated. "Sorry about that." Turning her back on them, she sauntered towards her destination.

A cold, magical wind roared around the chamber, causing all sources of light to flicker out and plunging the room into impenetrable darkness.

"No one move," Riku's voice rang out calmly.

Her heart racing, Yukari opened her eyes wide, desperately willing some light to hit them.

"Fire!" Naminé tried, but its light was swallowed as well.

Frantically, Yukari scrabbled for Onsaken, setting its prongs to produce visible light, and tapped it on the ground. The prongs were vibrating, she knew it, she could feel it tingling her hands, but still no light.

With a wild, panicked cry, she let Onsaken clatter to the ground.

"Ri?"

_No, no, no! _She began backing away down the steps.

_She was a little girl again, without any sort of hearing aid, and she'd wandered into the basement unnoticed. Thinking it was empty for the night, a servant had turned out the lights and locked it. With no eyes and no ears, she'd staggered around, shouting for help, all the while hoping to stumble across the way out. For hours, she continued, until her voice was hoarse and her feet were bruised. Then, she gave up hope, curled into a ball, and wept until a maid found her the next morning._

Her whole body began trembling as she continued moving precariously backward.

"Ri, are you alright?"

"Not again, not again," she moaned.

"She's panicking, she can't hear us."

"If she's not careful, she could go over the edge."

"We have to find her, quick! Spread out."

_No sight, no sound, nothing! She was completely helpless._ Fear kept moving her feet backwards, towards the edge and the fall it promised.

Then a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her to a chest, holding her in place. "Got her," said a calm, soothing voice. She reached for the arms and clung to them frantically. "That's right. You're okay." The arms gently guided her to the ground.

"Do you need us to come over there, Riku?"

"I think I've got it. Just stay put," Riku's lulling tones answered. His arms tried to pull away, but Yukari clutched them even tighter, not wanting their comforting weight to leave. He obliged and renewed his hold. A lesser weight, though also comforting, settled on her thigh.

"Deep breaths now, right Yukari? Just like you told me. Ready? In..."

Riku's steady breathing was a comfort as Yukari sat there in his arms, working to calm her own breathing. Slowly, her tremors abated and she got control of herself. She was content to sit for a few more minutes to assure herself that she wouldn't start panicking again. Also, she was rather...comfortable.

Finally, she whispered, "I'm fine, now." She squeezed his arm briefly in thanks.

He squeezed her in return and released her. "I'll go find Onsaken," he said, his breath warming the back of her neck, though the sound seemed to come from off to the side because Onsaken was still farther up the stairs.

"Thanks," she breathed gratefully. The disconnect between her ears and her sense of touch was driving up her anxiety again.

"Don't worry," Rikku chirped reassuringly from Ri's thigh. "We'll get the lights back."

"Hey, Yukari!" Roxas called out of the dark. "I don't want to hear any crap about the blood thing after this."

She chuckled tiredly. "That's okay. I've got plenty of other material to work with," she replied in a slightly mocking, but mostly weary, tone.

Then Riku grunted softly, as if in pain, followed by a muffled thump and a metallic clang. "Riku?" Yukari called, fighting to keep her alarm down. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he replied in a voice slightly higher than normal, then moaned softly. "I just tripped. Banged myself up a bit." Yukari frowned. That didn't seem quite right.

"Do you need me to heal you?" Naminé inquired.

"No, I've got it," he responded, still in that higher voice. It could have just been the pain, but his voice wasn't tight like it should be. It was smooth and even, still.

"Are you sure?" prodded Naminé. "You sound a bit off." So Yukari wasn't the only one who noticed.

"You guys worry too much," he assured them with a hint of exasperation. "Yukari, your weapon's over here." A few clinks followed, as if he were tapping Onsaken.

A sigh of relief escaped her. She'd feel much safer and in control once she had Onsaken back in her hands. "Excellent. Bring it here, would you?"

"Can you come up here?" he requested with a slight plea. "I want to rest a minute."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," she said, putting a meaningful emphasis on her words that Riku would be sure to understand.

"It's easy," he snapped, sounding rather annoyed. "Just follow the sound of my voice."

A chill crept down her spine. "You're not Riku," she accused quietly.

There was a shocked silence as everyone digested Yukari's statement. Then someone started chuckling sinisterly. "I will be soon," the pretender growled menacingly.

Before anyone could react, the lights flared back into brilliance. Yukari yelped and threw up her hands. Then something tackled her and she felt herself hurtle over the edge of the staircase into open space.

"Yukari!" Roxas and Naminé both shouted while hurried footsteps pounded in Yukari's head.

Another low moan. "Riku!" Naminé gasped. More footsteps.

Yukari cursed mentally; Onsaken was still on the stairs. She began grappling with her opponent, trying to rotate him(?) under her. Sooner or later, they would reach the ground, and she wanted cushioning.

"Come on, Riku, wake up!" Roxas growled in frustration.

A third moan, although this one sounded more lucid. "What happened?" Riku asked groggily. Yukari sighed in relief and thanked any higher power that would listen.

"Someone was pretending to be you," Naminé explained, sounding a bit strained. "Yukari figured him out and he attacked. I don't know where they went."

Yukari's foe was clearly the better grappler; every time she managed to get him under her, he just flipped them effortlessly. Instead, Yukari focused on separating them.

She felt Rikku climb up her legs, heading for one of the arms holding Yukari. After a few moments, her assailant yelped in surprise and loosened his hold. Mustering all her strength, Yukari kicked and shoved at him with all her might, sending him tumbling away.

Remembering her promise to Riku, Yukari hurriedly whispered, "Rikku, listen closely. I'm deaf and Onsaken is back up top, so I can't hear you right now. I can lip read if I can see your lips, but I'll most likely be concentrating on the other guy. Tap my leg twice if you understand." Two taps. "Good." It killed her to let someone else in on the secret, but Riku had been right about it being a life or death piece of information.

"Are you alright?" Naminé asked in concern.

"I feel...weak," Riku murmured. "...tired."

"You did just get beaned," Roxas pointed out.

"It's different," Riku insisted. "...Huh?" A pause. "I can't summon my Keyblade."

"That sounds kind of familiar, but I can't remember why," Roxas muttered. "What is it?"

The ground came into sight and Yukari readied herself to roll like Riku had described once. Hopefully the description was all she needed. But she needn't have worried. As the ground approached, she felt herself slowing. Her feet touched the ground lightly, as if someone had placed her there. Trust a magician to have safety spells like that in place.

Now that she hadn't gone splat, she focused on her attacker and dread filled her. Standing across from her was a younger version of Riku, though his eyes were the same deep obsidian of the Halfhearted. He wore a ridiculous purple outfit with a tattered white skirt. The pieces clicked into place and Yukari knew what she was facing.

_Come on, guys_, she pleaded. _Figure it out!_

"Nice hula skirt," Yukari snorted, determined not to appear as afraid as she was.

The Restless hmphed at her in such a familiar way that she wanted to scream and crush the miserable imitation to dust. "You're very brave to antagonize your enemy unarmed," it leered, summoning a copy of Way to the Dawn...a very convincing copy that would be as good as the real thing for what the Restless had in mind.

_Or strategizing... _"At least I don't look like my body's been turned inside out," she retorted, letting her favorite waltz begin playing in her head.

"Do you know what I am?" it threatened, swelling ominously.

"Did you mean Astan's plaything or Vexen's plaything?" she mocked, trying to rile it up.

It worked. "Shut up!" it growled at her.

"You're a fake of a fake!"

With a yell, the Restless leapt at her. Yukari dodged, having anticipated the reaction. In its anger, the Restless's movements were very predictable.

Roxas gasped. "I remember," he said with a hint of sadness. After a brief hesitation, he continued more strongly, "This sounds like one of Vexen's replica experiments."

Riku cursed. There was a metallic scraping sound.

"Wait, shouldn't we go get Yen Sid?" Naminé asked worriedly.

"No time," Riku answered shortly.

"We don't even know where they are," Roxas pointed out.

"Nowhere to go but over," remarked Riku. "Heads up, Yukari!" he called, and the chatter from the stairs grew faint. _Good boy!_

The Restless Riku Replica was starting to regain its composure, which meant it was getting much harder to dodge. The fake Way to the Dawn flashed to the right and Yukari danced left. Then the blade changed course abruptly and Yukari had to throw herself out of the way, straight into a wall and leaving her vulnerable.

Sneering triumphantly, the phony brought his weapon up. As it brought the Keyblade down, something streaked from Yukari's pocket at the Restless's face. There was a flash of magic and the Replica staggered back, clutching its frost-covered face. Rikku gave Yukari a quick thumbs-up before retreating again.

With a jolt, Ri realized that she was hearing the fake's growls of frustration instead of just seeing the body language characteristic of a growl. She also heard Rikku muttering a string of encouragement even though she knew Yukari couldn't hear her. Hopefully, she glanced up to see a wink of metal falling towards her.

"I was only going to use you as bait to draw the Real Thing to his doom," the Restless bit, "but now I think I'll kill you too."

"I'd like to see you try," Yukari trashed. Right on cue, Onsaken arrived in the air in front of her. With a graceful motion, she grasped the hilt and chose a different dance, a salsa to spice things up and bring on the heat.

Worried for Riku, Yukari fenced to the limits of her skill. She had to defeat the Replica quickly before the real Riku arrived and did the one thing the false Riku was counting on; namely, something stupid and heroic to save Yukari. With grim satisfaction, she noted that the Restless was frowning in concentration and was gripping its weapon as if it was trying to escape.

There! Its shoulder was wide open. Yukari quickly thrust at the spot, but to her dismay, found Onsaken redirected downward by the Keyblade copy, throwing her off balance. A quick tap near the hilt of Onsaken sent it clattering to the floor. Time seemed to slow as the blade came down again, ready to slash across her exposed chest.

At that moment, something stupid and heroic happened. The real Riku appeared out of nowhere to receive the blow that was meant for her. Yukari watched with horror as the weapon struck Riku. He grunted once and fell to his knees.

"Riku!" Yukari cried as she caught him under the arms. He just hung there limply, his breathing labored.

"If I can't be Riku, _no one can!_" the bastard declared, raising its despicable imitation of Way to the Dawn.

Anger seared Yukari's throat. "You could _never_ be Riku!" she retorted venomously.

It lunged for Riku's heart. In one smooth motion, Yukari deftly scooped up Onsaken, caught the fake Keyblade between the prongs and twisted. The weapon yanked free of the Restless's hand and Yukari snatched the hilt.

It had turned out the lights, it had tricked her, it wanted to steal Riku's identity, and it had hurt the first person to ever truly care for her. Now it would pay! With an enraged yell, she plunged the blade through the Restless's chest.

It staggered backward, staring at its own weapon in surprise. She eyed it coldly for a moment, then put it out of her mind when she felt Riku stirring. "Mistake," Riku murmured quietly.

"Orders," his Replica shrugged as it began to disintegrate. Roxas rushed up frantically, casting Curaga left and right, but no one paid him any attention. A smile tugged at the Replica's mouth. "You were right, you know."

Riku managed a weak, "Hm?"

"My heart went to the same place yours will."

Yukari glanced up. "The Crossroads," she whispered.

"You should keep that one around," the Restless said, nodding at Yukari. "She might come in handy." With that, the last of the Restless Riku Replica dissolved and dissipated. The fake Way to the Dawn clattered to the floor and vanished a moment later in a swirl of light.

"Isn't this the part where the Restless gives you advice?" Ri asked in disapproval. Riku just grunted, not looking disappointed in the slightest.

Riku made an effort to glance up at Yukari. "Are you alright?" he asked in concern.

"Am _I_ alright?" she snapped angrily. "You idiot!" Her throat constricted and she felt tears prickle in her eyes. No, she was not alright, but Riku was even more not alright. She was determined not to break down in front of him. "I ought to slap you upside the head for that stupid stunt which, by the way, was its plan all along."

Riku chuckled softly. "Trial by fire," he sighed.

"Yeah, seems to be the way with you guys," she responded.

A pleased look crossed Riku's face as he nodded. Then he closed his eyes and finally let unconsciousness claim him.

"Guys!" Naminé yelled, hurrying over to them. An old man who was clearly a wizard, and must have been Yen Sid, strode along behind her. When Naminé caught sight of Riku, she dropped down beside them and began casting her own healing spells. Roxas, who had been staring at the spot where the Restless had disappeared in silent thought, shook his head and roused himself out of his daydreams.

"Do not worry," the old wizard rumbled in a reassuring voice. "He will be fine." He bent down and scooped Riku into his arms, showing a surprising amount of strength for one so old. A moment later, the two of them disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

The relief began pouring in, which opened the flood gates for all the other emotions Yukari had been trying to hold back. The tears began to fall and her knees gave out. Violent tremors racked her, partly caused by her weary muscles and partly caused by her spent anger and adrenaline. Her fear of the dark seemed like nothing compared to the horror that the Restless had inspired in her, nor the terror she'd felt for Riku.

When Naminé placed a hand on Yukari's shoulder, the older girl dropped all pretenses and collapsed onto the younger's shoulder. After a moment of surprise, Naminé wrapped her arms around Yukari. Roxas also rubbed her back comfortingly. They waited in silence while Yukari cried out her tensions.

Finally, Yukari pushed herself up and sighed in exhaustion. "Thanks," she murmured. Naminé offered her a friendly smile.

"The crash after the adrenaline rush is the worst," Roxas assured her firmly, clapping her on the back amiably.

Ri could see in her friends' faces that they were dying to know what had happened, but they also didn't want to push her. Sighing in amusement, Yukari mustered herself and told them.

"Yukari, that's very impressive," Naminé noted in awe.

"Yeah," Roxas agreed, although he seemed lost in thought again. "Nice job." He glanced down at his left hand with a worried expression. Shaking his head again, he stood up, saying, "Yen Sid's probably wondering where we are."

"You guys go ahead," Yukari said, waving them on. "I just need a minute to myself." Roxas and Naminé shared a concerned glance. Yukari just rolled her eyes. "I think I've proven that I can take care of myself if anyone decides to jump me." They still looked a bit worried, but they conceded and left Yukari to herself.

"'Spose this means I should peace out," Rikku's muffled voice floated from Yukari's pocket.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you for a minute," Yukari replied.

"Yeah?" Rikku chirped, poking her head out. When it was clear that Ri was serious, Rikku flew up to eye level. "What about?"

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone," Yukari requested, tapping an ear with a finger.

"Sure thing," Rikku agreed brightly. "My lips are sealed." She mimed zipping her mouth.

"Really?" Ri questioned with a bit of skepticism. "Just like that?"

"You're obviously responsible enough to know when the secret is dangerous," Rikku replied seriously. Yukari refrained from mentioning her recent chat with Riku. "And I don't blame you for wanting to keep it a secret. I would hide my size if I could, but that's a little hard." She giggled with a dazzling smile.

Yukari was taken aback. "I never thought about that," she muttered in shock. Suddenly, Rikku didn't seem like such an annoying twit. "Thanks."

"You bet, girly!" Rikku gushed.

Yukari held up a hand and Rikku slapped it enthusiastically. Together, they went to check on the heroic idiot.

On the way up, Yukari happened to glance out a window and glimpsed hyperspace once more. She was free to live her life the way she wanted, and right then, she wanted nothing more than to spend it with her friends.

* * *

**A/N: **Hello to all my readers from my new home of California! Apparently grad schools like to thoroughly tenderize their fresh meat, so the fall semester pretty much wiped me out. But, never fear! They haven't killed my poor, little muse and hopefully they never will.

**New Characters:**

Riku Replica: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories  
Yen Sid: The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1940)


	28. House Guests

Chapter 28: House Guests

"Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me?" Donald belted, marching with his right wing swinging in tempo and his left holding his wand like a guard rifle. Goofy and Mickey marched in rank behind him.

Goofy saluted with utmost gravity and took up the tune, "M-I-C, K-E-Y, M-O-U-S-E!"

"Mickey Mouse!" Mickey replied in rhythm, raising his Keyblade.

"Donald Duck!" the magician squawked enthusiastically.

"Mickey Mouse!"

"Donald Duck!"

Paine forced her eyelids even tighter and ground her palms into her ears even harder. "And though I know the real world of emotion has surrounded me..." she sang desperately, trying to drown out the infernal, off-key animals. Unfortunately, not even Yuna's most get-stuck-in-your-head-for-days-at-a-time song could block out the din.

The three joined voices in cacophonous exuberance. "Forever let us hold our banner high!" they warbled out of tune.

"I won't give in to it!" Paine sang louder.

The Disney Castle denizens matched the increase. "Come along and sing a song..."

"NOW I KNOW THAT FORWARD IS THE..."

"_AND JOIN THE JAMBOREE!_"

Finally, Paine couldn't take it anymore. "_Enough_!" the sprite bellowed.

A startled Donald stopped short, causing his companions to crash into him.

"Gee, Paine, what's the matter?" Goofy inquired with a hurt look on his face. "Don't you like our song?"

"Not when you sing it a hundred times straight!" she bellowed, punching the air in frustration.

Donald harumphed loudly, glaring at the sprite. "You don't have to be rude about it." The three Disney characters picked themselves up off the ground.

"Hm..." Goofy pondered. The ground had felt a lot like an asphalt road.

"Rude is the only way to get through that thick skull of yours," Paine growled back.

The incensed duck reached behind his head to tip his hat forward aggressively and rolled up his sleeves. "Why I oughta..." He brought his hands up in front of his face in a boxing pose.

"Bring it, bird boy!" Paine challenged, moving to a fighting stance.

Oblivious of his fighting companions, the knight looked farther down their path. Lampposts grew out of the shadows to illuminate what was indeed a street. A familiar street...

"Hey!" Mickey shouted, whacking both of the quarrelers on the heads. "Cut it out." Looking sternly at them, he continued, "I know we're cranky and tired after walking so long, but that's no excuse to take it out on each other."

Two bright searchlights flashed to life, revealing a swanky building at the corner of an intersection. "Look, fellers!" Goofy exclaimed, pointing. "It's the House of Mouse!"

Mickey and Donald whipped their heads around to stare at the lit up nightclub. "It is!" they both gasped.

"The what?" Paine groaned, rubbing her forehead. She could feel a migraine coming on.

"The House of Mouse," Mickey answered. "It's a dinner theater we used to run together." A troubled look crossed his face. "What're we doing here?"

"Yeah," Goofy agreed. "Didn't ya close 'er down when we had ter leave?"

Mickey shook his head. "Mortimer offered to take over, and well..." He heaved a sigh. "I didn't want to see the House go, so I let him."

Biting the bullet again, Paine dared to ask, "Mortimer?"

"My old rival, Mortimer Mouse," Mickey supplied.

"A long time ago, Mortimer an' His Majesty had ter compete to be Minnie's special sweetheart," Goofy grinned, like this was an embarrassing secret for the king. "An' Mortimer thinks they're still competin', a-hyuck!"

"Everyone else just thinks he's an annoying jerk," Donald grumbled.

"One of those guys," Paine said, nodding in understanding.

Still frowning, Mickey muttered, "I can't imagine he'd do anything too bad, though."

"Who cares?" Donald squawked. "I say we take a break."

As much as she hated it, Paine had to agree with the bird brain, "Not a bad idea."

"Last one there's a rotten egg!" the magician cackled before sprinting towards the house.

"Donald, wait!" Mickey shouted, dashing after him. "We should be careful."

"Oh boy, here we go," Goofy sighed before galumphing away.

Smirking deviously, Paine watched them go, not even bothering to give chase. The racers drew closer, close enough to see that the club's sign was malfunctioning. "House of" was written in bright neon letters, but the third word was dark, save for a few flickers.

When Donald was nearly at the red-carpeted entrance, Paine teleported directly to the door in a swirl of light. "Beat you," she boasted, looking smug as Donald steamed.

Once Mickey and Goofy caught up, the four adventurers strode into the hip venue, looking forward to their brief rest. As they went in, they passed a humongous shark-like man wearing a spacey outfit. The shark-man walked over to an electrical box, pulling out a bright yellow ray gun, and zapped the circuits, causing the sign to blaze into its full glory.

"House of Villains"

* * *

A grim-looking fellow was at the host stand, watching the patrons indifferently with blood red eyes. He drummed on the stand with a sleek, golden gauntlet, not seeming to care that his long, black hair was in his face.

"Table for three, please," Donald quacked at him.

"Four!" Paine corrected.

"Three and a half," Donald conceded.

The host stared at them for several seconds, as if they were bugs he wasn't sure were worth the effort to squash. With a swift motion, he brought his wrist up to his mouth and whispered something in it. "This way," he said in barely more than a whisper. The man turned, his red cloak fluttering around him and revealing a pistol holstered on his leg.

"Thanks, Mr..." Mickey responded politely, looking at the name plate on the stand, "Valentine."

The aloof host brought them to a table right in the center of the audience, providing them a terrific view of the stage. Without another word, he left, glancing at a young woman in black clothes and a long blue vest as he did so. The woman rolled her eyes and flipped her black tresses behind her shoulders before striding up to her newest customers.

"Hey boys," she greeted. "And gal," she added quickly after Paine cleared her throat. "I'm Rinoa and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get for you?"

The four hungry customers glanced around the table fruitlessly. "Urm..." Goofy muttered. "Where's the menus?"

"We don't have any," Rinoa stated matter-of-factly. "You order what you want, and our whiz of a chef cooks it up." She smirked at their shocked expressions.

After a moment, Donald's face broke out into a delighted grin. "Blueberry pancakes!" he blurted excitedly. "With lots of syrup!"

Goofy scratched his head. "But Donald, it's not breakfast time."

"So?" Donald fired back.

"Yeah, so?" Rinoa agreed with him, giggling. "We serve anything and everything, morning, noon, and night." She scribbled down Donald's order on a notepad.

"What's a good cheese dish?" Mickey inquired.

"His cheese fondue is top notch," Rinoa replied.

"I'll have that then."

The server turned to Goofy. "I'll have the best sandwich he can make, a-hyuck," the knight said cheerfully.

"The best, huh?" Rinoa mused, tapping her lip with her pen. "I'd say that's the Monte Cristo. It's heavenly."

"No, no," Goofy clarified, "tell 'im I want the best sandwich he can make. Those words exactly."

This seemed to puzzle the poor girl. "Okay...," she drew out in confusion and wrote the order down anyway. "And for you?" she directed at Paine.

"I'll just eat off their plates," Paine answered. "Don't waste a whole plate on me."

"Nonsense," Rinoa assured, "we deal with this all the time. I can just shrink the food down for you when I bring it. No worries."

Paine raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I'll have a chef salad then, no meat."

"Alrighty, then!" Rinoa chirped. "I'll put that in for you." She strolled over to a window and shouted through it, "Ordering! I've got a drowned poxcake, a cholesterol dipper, a peaceful garden, and..." she paused with a frown, "'the best sandwich you can make' for table four."

Instantly, the doors to the kitchen burst open and a man with large shoulders and a larger chin strode up to them. His Incan dress was covered up by a dirty apron, currently. Goofy in particular noticed a small pin on the chef's apron, a chef's hat with crossed spatulas underneath.

"Alright, which one of you ordered the sandwich?" he said in an accusing tone, eyeing them all as if they were in trouble.

In response, Goofy calmly walked up to the chef and slapped him across the face with his napkin.

"Oh, it's on," the chef responded darkly, both of them with serious expressions on their faces. "Sandwich Gourmets United?"

"Connoisseurs for a Better Sandwich. Fancy Chefs Union?"

"Food Preparers Elite. Kronk."

"Goofy."

They shook hands firmly, nodding at each other. "May the best man win," Kronk deadpanned, all business, before retreating to his lair, nearly bowling over Rinoa as she shook her head in amusement.

The others at the table were staring at Goofy with open mouths. "What was _that_ about?" Donald quacked.

"Sorry, can't tell you," he responded. "It's a secret."

Used to his Captain's antics by now, Mickey just chuckled and sipped on the water that Rinoa had provided. His ears, as always, were picking up the chatter from among the other patrons in the House. Normally, the king tried to ignore what he heard (because it's impolite to eavesdrop), but some of the conversations wormed their way into his mind, anyway.

"Did you hear the newssssss?" a hypnotizing voice hissed.

"Indeed," a feline voice growled. "What a shame. Now I'm the only great cat villain left."

"Ahem," a voice trying to be regal inserted angrily.

"I said great, not pathetic."

What looked to be a large grasshopper and a purple lizard were escorted to a table in front of Mickey by Vincent.

"Man, that's rough," the insect observed sympathetically as Rinoa approached.

"When I get my hands on them again, they'll wish they'd stayed in banishment," the lizard swore menacingly, pounding the table.

"Something from the bar?" Rinoa suggested humorously.

"A dry martini."

Closer to the stage, an old woman who looked scary beyond all reason was grimacing while a large old woman pigged out next to her. "Want some?" the mad old woman asked, handing the scary-beyond-all-reason woman a fork. "It's magnificent, marvelous, mad mushroom soufflé."

Hesitantly, Ms. Scary-beyond-all-reason grabbed the fork, as if she was giving in to temptation, and took a bite. "Mm..." she purred. "I guess my idiot henchman is good for something after all." She began tapping her fork thoughtfully against her cheek, not noticing the flecks of food she was depositing there. "You know, I haven't seen Hades in a while. Wonder what he's up to."

A pit began forming in Mickey's stomach that had nothing to do with being hungry. "Uh, fellas?" the mouse began nervously, "something doesn't feel right."

"Chow time!" Rinoa trilled, a large tray of food floating behind her. Any concerns Mickey had were shoved aside as his companions eagerly awaited their meals. With a flick of her hand, Rinoa had the plates hover to their correct customers. She even shrunk Paine's salad right before their eyes. "Enjoy."

A growl from his stomach was enough to make Mickey forget his misgivings for the time being. After all, they needed their strength.

Goofy was examining his sandwich critically. It looked very simple, just a French baguette with meat, cheese, lettuce, and sauce. Finished with his examination, Goofy held the sandwich reverently and eased a bite out of it. He chewed carefully, seeming to ponder each flavor he encountered. Finally, with a satisfied moan, he swallowed.

"Delicious!" he cried happily.

Kronk instantly sped out of his kitchen to the table, coming to a stop with his hands clasped under his chin. "Really?"

"Uh-huh," Goofy confirmed. "It looks simple, but each piece has a buncha flavor. I've never tasted anythin' like it. An' the sauce is outta this world. What's yer secret?" He chuckled privately at his own pun.

"You know how there's big no-no's in cooking?" Kronk replied.

"Yup."

"I do them anyway because half of the time I can't remember what they are," the chef admitted unashamedly.

"Well, it worked out for you this time, a-hyuck!" Goofy grinned, proffering a Golden Sandwich pin.

Kronk gasped, a tear coming to his eye, "I'm honored." He accepted the award with a shaking hand and attached it to his apron, right next to his Food Preparers Elite Membership pin.

The lights dimmed, indicating the start of the dinner program, with Kronk still at table four, stunned at the recognition he'd been given. A sentient microphone dropped from the flyspace to introduce the host. "And now, your master of mousey mischief, Mortimer Mouse."

The crowd erupted into raucous applause as a lanky, sleazy-looking mouse sauntered on stage. "Thank you, thank you," Mortimer sneered. "Looks like we've got a hot crowd tonight, even without Hades, ha cha cha!" The house broke into laughter. "Before we get started, though, we have some special guests in the House tonight."

A bright spotlight turned on above table four, bringing attention to its occupants. "It's the former MC himself, King Mickey Mouse, along with his cohorts Donald Duck and Goofy," Mortimer continued. "Why don't we show them how we run the House now?"

"Eh heh heh heh," guffawed a familiar voice. "It'd be my pleasure." Out of the shadows came Pete in his red and blue jumpsuit, an evil twinkle in his eye. He grabbed their table and flipped it over, sending their half-eaten meals flying.

"Hey!" Kronk shouted with a frown. "Nobody ruins my food and gets away with it!" He whipped out a skillet from who knows where and slammed it squarely on Pete's head. The great lummox spun dizzily and fell to the floor.

"Run for it!" Mickey cried desperately. The four sprang from their seats and sprinted for the door. Before they could reach it, green and black flames rose in their path, causing them to screech to a halt.

"Leaving so soon?" a terrible voice leered. Out of the flames came none other than Maleficent. A blast of dark magic shot from her staff at the heroes, scattering them into the throng of villains that all wanted a piece of them.

Mickey jumped over a huge, thieving brute that swiped at him with golden claws, only to get shot at by a greedy treasure hunter. "On your left!" Paine warned, keeping an eye out from above. A kid with braces and a skull t-shirt shot a firecracker at the king, who twisted around to block with his Keyblade. The explosion blasted him into the ground, but he sprung back up quickly. A guy in a spandex suit with piles of red hair fired an energy ray from his glove at Mickey, immobilizing the king instantly.

Donald had ducked under a table to avoid plasma blasts from the shark man. "Get back here, trog!" the alien shouted. A pair of siamese cats slunk under the table after the magician, sinking their claws into his exposed behind. "Wak!" Donald squawked, bolting from under the table and casting a Firaga behind him. A third cat, this one fat and long-haired, jumped onto Donald's head and began scratching his face. It yowled in pain as Paine slashed it with her sword, giving Donald the opportunity to throw the cat off. His relief wasn't long; a thin tentacle, much like Ursula's, wrapped around him, holding him tight.

Goofy ran with his shield over his head, deflecting the ion blaster shots from a purple, cape-wearing emperor. Not watching where he was going, he slammed into a giant fur coat that probably weighed more than its cruel owner. "Behind you!" Paine shouted. She wasn't quick enough, though. The heart-shaped spear of a card soldier poked Goofy in the rump. "Yah, hoo, hoo, hooyyyyyyyyy!" the knight yelped, hopping away. "Off with his head!" the Queen of Hearts bellowed after him. A python wearing a cape and hat dropped in front of Goofy's face. It's eyes glowed hypnotically, ensnaring Goofy in their depths.

The three captives were flung roughly/directed hypnotically to the stage where Mortimer was waiting in evident delight. "Nothin' personal, boys," he sneered. "I want Minnie and they want you dead, so it's a win-win...for us." Each and every villain let loose their evil laughs, sending chills down the heroes' spines.

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy pushed themselves up and readied to fight. "I don't think even the spirit of adventure would like these odds," Paine muttered, hovering nearby for support.

"All together now," Mortimer instructed. "Ready..." The villains loaded their weapons or prepared their spells. "Aim..."

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!"

Kronk came dashing up to the stage, holding his skillet up like a stop sign.

"And why should we do that?" Maleficent questioned menacingly. An impatient rustle went through the crowd. They wanted the Disney inhabitants dead, but good chefs were hard to come by!

Kronk seemed stumped. "Uh..."

"Say something!" came a voice that only Mickey's ears could hear. It sounded like the host, Vincent Valentine!

"Because the voices in my head told me so?" Kronk tried, prompting a groan from Vincent. This time, Mickey spotted the source of the voice, an earpiece in Kronk's ear.

"What?" "Is he a spy?" "He's with the king!" "Destroy the cook, too!"

"Don't be ridiculous," the scary-beyond-all-reason lady called out derisively. "Kronk talks to himself all the time."

The villains calmed down enough to listen to Kronk again. "He did give me the pin," Kronk admitted to his right shoulder. "You're right, I don't want him mad again," he professed to his left shoulder.

"See?" the woman asserted. "Just ignore him and attack the others now while he's distracted."

"Abort! Abort!" Vincent said urgently. "Get out of there, now!"

A rush of power filled the house and the villains were shoved aside by a magical force. "Hold it!" Rinoa commanded, walking towards the stage. White angel wings now sprouted from her back. "Nobody lays a finger on _my_ customers." She waited for the villains to complain loudly before smirking, "Except me."

"By all means, my lady," Mortimer conceded, bowing out of her way. From that angle, he had a nice view of her curvy legs. "Ha cha cha."

Despite his best efforts, Mickey quailed as their server approached them; immense power was building up around her. The air itself seemed to hold its breath in anticipation for what was about to happen. She stopped a few feet away, watching them. Then, she winked.

The cheeky young woman spun around quickly towards her evil audience. "Nyah!" she sassed, making a face at them by sticking out her tongue and pulling down her eyelid. Then, Rinoa vanished in a whirl of light and feathers, taking the hapless adventurers and the hopeless chef with her.

"Great!" an angry voice yelled out of the crowd. "Now who's going to cook for us?" Many of the evildoers matched the sentiment and turned on Mortimer.

"Uh..." the MC stammered. "Ha cha cha?"

* * *

The teleportation spell dumped them all unceremoniously on a pile of junk in the cavernous prop room under the House. "Sorry about the rough landing," Rinoa apologized from her position sprawled across a silent organ. "I can't always control it when I'm rushed like that."

Mickey emerged from a pile of jewelry, closing a magical locket that showed Atlantica. "We're obviously in the prop room," he began, "but I don't recognize any of these props."

"That's because we're in the sequels section," Kronk explained. "Nobody likes the sequels." He picked up a prop nearby. "Oh look, a Camp Chippamunka uniform."

A splash of red drifted into their nook enclosed by shelves, fluttering aside to reveal Vincent. Donald and Goofy, who had not been privy to the earbud conversations, jumped in alarm and readied their weapons.

"Hey, Vincent," Rinoa greeted, affirming that the host was indeed friendly, or at least not their enemy. She hopped off the organ, accidentally smacking Vincent with her wing in the process. "Oops, sorry."

"Would you put those things away?" he growled, swatting at the white feathers.

"You don't have to be a jerk about it!" Rinoa retorted. She turned her back to him, making sure to smack him again, before scrunching up her face in an expression that made her look constipated. With a rustle, her feathers all dropped to the floor, leaving Rinoa's back as uninteresting as before.

"Don't mind them," Kronk informed the Dark group, "they're probably just cranky because Leon's going to be mad at us."

"_Leon?_"

"Yup," Rinoa chirped. "Tron picked up some concentrated villain activity on his sensors and Squall sent us undercover to investigate."

"Leon," Donald and Goofy both corrected her.

Ignoring them completely, Vincent ghosted over to a desk with an old radio on it. "House Guests to Radiant Garden," he spoke into a microphone. "Do you read?"

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered guiltily, "we didn't mean to mess you up."

Rinoa waved him off. "No worries," she assured them, "we weren't getting very far, so Squall was about to recall us anyway."

"You mean they're not planning anything?" Donald inquired, frowning skeptically.

"Nope," Kronk remarked. "Turns out the bad guys like to relax as much as the good guys do."

"Hey, Vinnie, y'old vampire!" Cid's rough voice crackled from the radio. "What's shaking?"

"Where's Leon?" the vampire-in-question demanded bluntly, scowling at Rinoa's smothered giggles.

"Is that Vincent?" the cheery voice of Yuffie broke in. "Hi, Vincent!"

To the amazement of all present, Vincent's face softened slightly. "Hey, Yuffie," he responded quietly.

"I was getting worried," the hyperactive girl admitted, "No one's heard from you for a week."

"A week?" Rinoa repeated, confused. "But it's only been a day since we called last."

"Time is messed up between the worlds," Mickey sighed.

"Tron and Leon should be able to explain it," Paine remarked dryly. "After all, they hacked into the Commspheres."

"Out of the way," ordered a familiar voice.

"But Leeeeooon!" Yuffie whined. "I wanna talk to Vincent!" You could practically hear the tantrum in her voice.

"No."

"Come on, Squall," Rinoa interceded on the ninja's behalf, "lighten up."

"No, now tell me why you contacted me."

The four adventurers shared an interested glance with each other; Leon hadn't corrected Rinoa! They could also hear Yuffie pestering him about it in the background.

"Our cover's been blown," Vincent stated, straight to the point.

There was a tense pause, the silence broken only by what sounded like Cid swearing. "Can you make it out?" Leon asked worriedly.

Donald yanked the microphone out of Vincent's hand. "We'll get them out," the duck quacked enthusiastically, placing the mic as close to his mouth as possible and likely blowing out the ear drums of any listeners. "No sweat."

"It is kinda our fault, after all," Goofy pointed out.

"Donald? Goofy?" Leon spluttered, too surprised to maintain his normal stoicism. "What..? How...?"

Taking over the microphone, Mickey responded sheepishly, "We just stumbled in by accident." His voice grew firm with conviction. "But things like this happen for a reason. Don't you worry 'bout a thing. They'll be home for dinner, one way or another."

"I'll hold you to that, Your Majesty," Leon replied with just a hint of cheek. "Good luck." With a click, the radio line went dead.

"Okay then," Mickey began, summoning his Keyblade. "Exit, stage left." He pointed the weapon in front of him, willing the darkness to part the fabric of space and create a portal to Radiant Garden...but, nothing happened. "Huh?"

"There's a spell on the building," Vincent informed them. "No magical travel in or out."

"'That's distracting for the audience, ha cha cha,'" Rinoa mocked, making her voice nasally.

"Hey, you sounded just like Mortimer," Kronk chortled. The others just collectively groaned.

"So all we gotta do is make it outside," the king summed up, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Rinoa, can you teleport us to a door?"

"Not without being noticed before I can pull it off," she admitted regretfully.

"So let's get walkin'," Goofy suggested. "Even if they do come lookin' fer us, they'll have a hard time findin' us down here."

"That is so true," Kronk agreed. "I've gotten lost down here _so_ many times trying to find this place."

They began trudging through the maze of shelves, boxes, and piles of props on their way to the single staircase that led back up to the main floor of the House. Any sounds they made seemed to get soaked up by the creepy paintings, baskets of toys, pots and pans, spandex suits, and old jalopies.

Realizing that it was safe to talk, Paine asked, "So how did you get stuck with this job?"

"We're a couple of Xehanort's rejects," Rinoa said easily, as if was the most normal thing in the world."

"Rejects?" Goofy wondered.

"Failed experiments," Vincent clarified with slight bitterness.

"That's awful!" Mickey gasped, looking horrified.

"I'm over it,"Rinoa shrugged, brushing her hair back as if she were brushing her cares away. "Xehanort wanted someone with the power of a Princess of Heart without the 'weakness' of morality, so he tried to imbue me with the power of Kingdom Hearts itself. Instead, he got a sorceress."

"Wak!" Donald squawked, his eyes bulging in awe. "A sorceress?"

The girl blushed slightly. "Yeah, but I've still got some work to do, as you saw."

"Hmph," Vincent grunted disapprovingly.

Several of the Disney Castle residents made their own noises of disapproval at the brooding man's reaction, but Rinoa came to his rescue. "He's upset about the experiment, not at me." She adopted a teasing tone. "It gives a bad name to scientists like him."

"That imposter Xehanort managed to single-handedly reverse the legitimacy of Ansem's research!" Vincent blurted heatedly. The burst of emotion passed quickly, though.

If not for the obvious anger that Vincent was burying, Mickey would have been excited to discuss Ansem the Wise with the former scientist. "You know Ansem's work?" the king inquired gently.

The man winced slightly. "I used to work under him," he grated out. "When Xehanort took over, I tried to stop him, but he and the other apprentices subdued me. To keep me quiet, they decided to experiment on me. They spliced Heartless DNA into me in the hopes that I would be able to control the monsters. I...well, let's just say they got more than what they bargained for."

After a moment of respectful silence, Donald jerked a thumb at the chef. "What about him?"

"Kronk?" Rinoa responded, trying to find the right words. "Well, he's..."

"...a loveable idiot/ex-evil henchman/comic relief," Kronk offered.

"His connection to the villain community has been invaluable to this operation," Vincent added, a note of approval running through his words.

"Plus the whole genius chef thing," Rinoa reminded them.

"Shhh!" Vincent suddenly hissed, throwing his arm out to hold everyone back.

Cautiously, Paine flew to the top of the towering shelves and peeked warily around. "Not good," she groaned lowly. "Looks like the whole audience is down here and starting to spread out."

"Can you keep us from running into them from up there?" Mickey asked hurriedly.

"Yeah," she replied. "Just don't go too fast and keep it down."

Time trickled by slowly as they tensely navigated the prop maze, changing direction whenever the sprite saw danger. They inched past bedknobs and broomsticks, crawled around a lighthouse, and tiptoed by a herd of carousel horses. After many suspenseful minutes, the exit could be seen over the mountains of odds and ends.

"Found ya!" Pete's voice boomed from behind them, startling everyone. Any villains in earshot vocalized their excitement, sounding eager for a fight, and began rushing towards the bungling henchman.

Light flashed on Rinoa's back, her magical angel wings appearing once more. "Get close," Rinoa whispered hurriedly, beckoning everyone to her side. Power began building around her as it had done up on the stage.

"Not so fast!" Maleficent boomed in a terrible voice. The orb on her staff glowed with a sickly green light. Rinoa squeaked in surprise as her power unraveled before her teleport spell could finish.

The evil sorceress cackled and sent another blast of magic at them, which Goofy quickly caught on his shield. Rinoa responded by loosing a raging column of flames at Maleficent. As Maleficent used her staff to block the magic, Mickey ran up and engaged the witch.

Vincent whipped out his pistol and unloaded on Pete, who laughed and raised his impenetrable shield. He wasn't laughing for long, though; Goofy charged him, using his shield like a battering ram, sending the lug crashing through shelves. Kronk bounded after him, waving his frying pan wildly.

"Fire!" a gubernatorial voice ordered from behind them. A storm of bullets rained down on the ranged warriors, taking them by surprise. While Paine quickly doled out potions, Rinoa cast a blue protective shield over them that served to slow the projectiles, lessening the damage that they did.

With an angry battle cry, Donald rushed at the pompous purple peacock who had ordered the attack. The magician jumped up and swiped his wand at the larger man, knocking off his purple pilgrim's hat. Blue octahedra circled Rinoa briefly before she cast a blistering Thundaga. The spell crashed down on the treasure hunter from before, a rugged poacher, and a floozy-looking, pawnshop-owning woman.

In spite of having temporary invincibility, Pete was struggling against the combined efforts of Goofy and Kronk. "Yah!" he cried as the chef threw some cayenne pepper in his face. A swift shield bash to the chin sent him sprawling. But the final blow did not come as expected. It came in the form of a wolf who huffed and puffed and blew down the two food enthusiasts.

"By the hair on my chinny-chin-chin," the newcomer remarked lightly, "looks like you could use some help, Petey."

"Hey, Big Bad," Pete greeted groggily, waving a hand weakly from the floor. "Nice timing."

"Now then," the Big Bad Wolf leered, "it's dinner time!" He pounced at Kronk, licking his lips, while Pete barreled at Goofy. Seeing them in trouble, Donald hurried over to provide support.

Maleficent's staff was fast, but Mickey's Keyblade was faster. In the midst of their sparring, the mouse was able to land a solid slash on the evil sorceress's chest, knocking her back. Before he could press his advantage, a great tiger leapt at him, raking the king with its claws. Maleficent was also on her feet again and sent a black and green fireball at her distracted opponent.

"Oh no you don't!" Rinoa bellowed, protecting Mickey from the blast with a spell. With determination on her face, the light sorceress faced off defiantly against the dark sorceress. They exchanged spell after spell, generating such power that the props surrounding them were blasted to pieces and the floor began to crack.

Vincent began firing at the tiger, allowing Mickey to break free from its grip. With the ranged distraction, the Keyblade Wielder was able to repel his feline opponent. Taking careful aim, the marksman prepared to fire right between the massive cat's eyes, but something hit him from behind and, suddenly, he couldn't move.

His paralyzed body swung through the air so that he faced the villain in spandex, a ray of energy connecting the villain's glove to Vincent. "Nobody escapes my Immobi-Ray!" the boy boasted, letting loose an evil laugh.

The supervillain's face fell when a purple orb began emanating from his captive. With a roar, Vincent transformed into a wolf-like creature and broke through the Immobi-Ray's hold. His long, white mane flared out behind him as his powerful legs propelled him forward. His jaws clamped down on the offending ray device, attempting to destroy it.

This particular villain was quite the engineer, though. Despite all the damage that the Galian Beast was doing, the device would not break. Instead, it began misfiring all over the place, grabbing up combatants and flinging them to other locations. One of the rays managed to pick up Mickey and Maleficent, tossing them behind a huge mound of props into a secluded alcove.

Both of them quickly recovered, ready to fight again, but their surroundings gave them pause. A man in dark armor was staring at a mysterious rock. The rock curved up from its base and curled back over into a point, creating the illusion of a bird unfurling its wings. Noticing his company, the man turned around. His face was covered completely by a thorned helm.

"Who are you?" Mickey asked, eyeing the figure warily while also watching out for Maleficent.

"I'm a coward," the warrior said mournfully. "A coward who cannot even defy orders he knows he ought not follow..."

"And what would those orders be, Dark Knight?" Maleficent wondered threateningly, seeming just as unsure about this mystery person as her hated foe was.

The knight held up his hand and summoned a two-handed Keyblade, its long, cruel blade gleaming darkly. "To eliminate Astan's enemies." He touched the tip of his weapon to the strange rock. "Hero and villain, alike." Glowing eyes made of lava snapped open on the stone bird's head. His task complete, the Restless vanished in a flare of black fire tinged with green.

"Run!" Mickey yelled as the rock melted to reveal a great firebird. It spread its magma wings and fired a molten blast at its fleeing targets. All manner of gizmos and gadgets vaporized under the intense heat as the pair of foes were flung back towards the main scrum of combatants.

Sharp claws clacked against the floor as the Galian Beast raced by in a purple blur. The demonic canine bounded up the shelves and leapt for the bird's throat. With a gravelly screech, the firebird batted Vincent away with its flaming wing. The beast howled in agony as he crashed to the ground, leftover flecks of magma smouldering in his fur. Another orb surrounded him briefly, returning him to his human form, though unconscious.

Bullets whizzed by from the marksman villains, but they melted before reaching their target. Spells flew from Donald and Rinoa, but they did little damage. Physical attackers couldn't get close because of the heat. It seemed like everyone had enough common sense to stop fighting each other and attack the bird, but no one was making any headway on their own.

Mickey and Maleficent shared a glance, one resolute, the other disgusted. They raised their weapons, wand and Keyblade together, and fired off a combined spell. The magic struck the firebird in the chest, causing some of its molten body to solidify and crumble away. A pained squawk exploded from the firebird's beak.

"Listen up, fellas," Mickey shouted to the crowd at large, "it's going to take some teamwork to bring this bird down."

"Yes," Maleficent ground out sourly, looking like she wanted to bite her own tongue, "we must work together if we want to get out of this alive."

A molten glob flew towards them, but it was stopped short by the Immobi-Ray. Donald quickly cast Blizzaga at the blazing projectile, freezing it into normal rock. The supervillain let it drop harmlessly to the ground.

"That's it!" Mickey cried excitedly. "Cool it down, then hit it hard."

With surprising enthusiasm, the combatants took his words to heart. Rinoa froze the bird's feet, then Pete bowled them down with one of his exploding balls. The Big Bad Wolf huffed and puffed at a wing, then Goofy bashed at it with his shield. The scary-beyond-all-reason lady threw a freezing potion at the other wing, then Kronk smacked it with his frying pan.

The bird fluttered in agitation and poured more magma into its extremities, attempting to regrow them, but under the combined might of the heroes and villains, it couldn't regenerate fast enough. Soon, all that was left was its molten core.

"Together!" Maleficent commanded. Everyone began hammering at once, but the core proved more stubborn than the rest of it had. Not only could it regenerate faster now, it was also proving more resistant to their efforts.

"It's not enough," Paine voiced with horror. "We need more power."

"Don't worry," Rinoa assured smugly, approaching with Vincent at her side. "We got this."

"Vincent!" Goofy exclaimed in relief. "You're okay!"

"I heal fast," the man shrugged. He glanced at the splashes of lava that the magma core was still able to threaten them with. "Cover us. We're going in."

"Don't be foolish!" Maleficent snapped at them, straining to maintain her spells.

The girl just winked. "Don't worry. We've still got a few tricks up our sleeves." A mischievous grin formed on her face. "You might want to stand back, though."

Rinoa and Vincent advanced beyond the front line, the sorceress casting an unfamiliar spell as she went. Golden light swirled around her, then settled on her, giving her body a golden aura. Vincent morphed again, this time into a great red-winged humanoid. His skin was a leathery black, his hair was blood red, and his eyes glowed an eerie yellow. Both exuded extreme power.

With a berserk war cry, Rinoa unleashed a massive freezing spell, bombarding the core with a constant stream of ice and snow. An enormous silver gun formed in Vincent's hand that began charging with energy. Molten rock and fierce flames shot at them, but their allies blocked the attacks. The rock began to harden and a thick layer of frozen water began forming around it until it was completely encased.

Vincent pulled the trigger.

A blast of light and dark energy erupted from the gun and pierced the last of the firebird. With a loud boom, the core shattered into a storm of dust and rock fragments, knocking everyone to the ground.

Coughing heavily, Mickey picked himself up, relieved to see that the firebird was completely gone. "Everyone alright?" the king called out. Groans of affirmation floated up from the rubble, even from those who had been fighting with him earlier.

"It appears we have a common enemy once again," Maleficent remarked, fingering the orb on her staff. "One that threatens us all." She glanced expectantly at King Mickey out of the corner of her eyes.

"Not just us," Mickey responded solemnly. "Astan is a threat to the Realms themselves. We'll need all the help we can get to stop him."

"And you shall have it so long as you leave us to prepare in peace," the black witch guaranteed. She turned to address the assembled villains. "Agreed?" Murmurs of assent came from the crowd.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Mickey said, then continued in a cautionary tone, "as long as you guys don't cause trouble."

"Very well," Maleficent acquiesced on behalf of the villain community. "It's seems we have a truce." She held out her hand. Without hesitation, King Mickey shook it on behalf of the forces of good.

"You can't be serious!" both Pete and Donald blurted in disbelief. Both were completely ignored.

"You stop attacking the worlds," Mickey began.

"You stop attacking us," Maleficent added.

"You join us for our battle with Astan."

"And business returns to normal after his demise."

"Anyone who breaks the truce is fair game."

"It shall be so," Maleficent finished. "We will continue to gather here." She stroked her chin in thought. "I suggest you pay Hades a visit. He is having problems of his own, currently, and he will not be able to help until those are solved."

"Gee, thanks for the tip," the king said gratefully. He glanced at his traveling companions. "Looks like we're headed for the Underworld."

"Sounds cheery," Paine inserted dryly.

Rinoa and Vincent, both wingless again, came up to them. "I will accompany you," Vincent stated bluntly. "Anything to get me out of this boring place."

"I'll stay here as a liaison," Rinoa suggested. Mickey and Maleficent both nodded in agreement.

"And I'll stay here to cook," Kronk added, appearing at Rinoa's elbow. Raucous cheering and applause burst from the villains. Apparently, this suited them very well.

"That sounds like a plan," the king affirmed. "See ya later!" He began walking towards the exit with Donald and Goofy at his sides, Vincent stalking after them, and Paine floating above his head.

"One more thing, Donald, Goofy" Maleficent called after them. "Try not to get yourselves killed." The corner of her mouth lifted slightly in an almost fond smile. "I still need to enact my revenge on you and Sora."

"You bet!" Donald called back, Goofy giving her a thumbs up.

With the goodbyes taken care of, the Dark group plus Vincent left the House behind and struck out for the Underworld, wondering just what Hades had gotten himself into this time.

* * *

**A/N: **So it's been forever since I've played/watched anything remotely related to FF7 (unless you count BBS), so Vincent is probably a bit OOC. Oh well. It's a different universe with different background stories, therefore the FF characters are a bit more flexible. Right? Right. After all, Square started it (cough Leon cough).

Since I can think of one person in particular who will probably pick up on this, the undercover mission started before the time screw up. Somewhere between the calls mentioned in the chapter is when the time screw up happened.

I forgot to mention this last chapter, but now that 358/2 has been out for a while, I have come to realize that my characterization of Roxas is completely off (dang KH2 and its incomplete portrayal of Roxas). At this point in the story, I'm not going to change it or try to explain it away. If anything, I'll rewrite some of the beginning chapters and work it out, but don't hold your breath.

Who's excited for KH3D? I know I am! But there is one thing I have to say: they cut Riku's hair! How could they? BTW, if you don't have any interest in playing "The World Ends With You," I would urge you to reconsider. It's got a good plot that's unusually dark and twisted for Square Enix. It's also the first DS game I've played that's utilized the system's capabilities well.

Hehe, I only put the explicitly mentioned characters on my new characters list this time. Have fun guessing the rest, including the Restless! There are 22 or 23 depending on how you want to count twins. **Edit:** When I originally posted this, I didn't count the Firebird as one of the unnamed villains, but I also didn't put it in the New Characters list. Whoops! My bad. I have corrected this. Now maybe your counts will work out. ;)

**New Characters**

Vincent Valentine: Final Fantasy VII  
Rinoa Heartilly: Final Fantasy VIII  
Kronk: The Emperor's New Groove (2000)  
Mortimer Mouse: Mickey's Rival (1936)  
Pete: Steamboat Willie (1928)  
Maleficent: Sleeping Beauty (1959)  
Queen of Hearts: Alice in Wonderland (1951)  
Big Bad Wolf: Three Little Pigs (1933)  
the Firebird: Fantasia 2000 (2000)


	29. Reflection

Chapter 29: Reflection

Yukari stared at the young man sleeping in front of her, thinking deeply. Eighteen years with her parents and she barely had anyone to call a friend; they wouldn't allow it. A matter of days on her own and she'd made a whole group of friends who were willing to risk themselves for her. To take a blade for her...

"She's still in there, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, you don't think she..."

_...loves him? _Perhaps, but she had no previous experiences to judge by.

"No, I think she's just a bit overwhelmed that someone would do that for her."

Spot on.

"You'd think she never had friends before."

Also spot on. No, wait...not quite.

"Give her a break. She isn't used to this like we are."

There was Mai...

* * *

_Her mother was talking to one of the managers of the concert hall. "What do you mean there's no one to watch her?" her mother asked impatiently, clutching Yukari's wrist. She didn't hide her lips; no one knew Yukari was a proficient lip reader yet. "Aren't you supposed to accommodate for the musicians?"_

_"You are expected to arrange for your own childcare," the manager replied icily. "Children don't belong in a concert hall."_

_"Unforeseen circumstances left me without childcare today," her mother sniffed. "But that's your problem, not mine."_

_"And why, pray tell, is that?"_

_Her mother's face grew dark. "Because your hall will never see another performance again if you don't." Considering the woman was first violin of the premier orchestra of their world, it was no idle threat._

_The blood drained out of the manager's face. Through his teeth, he ground out, "It will be my pleasure."_

_Her mother turned to Yukari and signed, "Go with this man. He will take care of you until I return." Yukari nodded and looked expectantly at the poor fellow._

_"She's deaf?" he blurted, losing his composure entirely._

_"Yes," her mother replied. "She is very fragile, so do take good care of her...or else." Without a second glance, her mother strode off towards her dressing room. The manager eyed Yukari, completely unsure of how to handle the situation but still frightened by the musician's threat._

_"I'm sorry," Yukari said, or at least that's what she hoped it sounded like. It must have been recognizable enough, because the manager's face softened and he gave her a small smile._

_"At least you don't take after your mother," he muttered. Yukari couldn't help giggling a bit. "You lip read?" The girl nodded and placed a finger to her mouth, indicating it was a secret. Grinning mischievously, the manager brought his fingers across his lips, zipping them. He offered a hand to her, saying, "I think I know someone who won't mind watching you."_

_They wound through the backstage corridors until they came to a door that said box seats. Yukari's eyes popped; she knew how concert hall seating worked. Sure enough, the man led her out the door and into one of the boxes where an old woman sat alone. Clearing his throat, the manager said, "Excuse me, Madame. One of the musicians was unable to find childcare for this evening and needs someone to watch this little one. Would you be so kind?"_

_The wrinkled face turned to gaze at Yukari, then crinkled into a warm smile that lit up her whole face. "I'd be happy to." She gestured to the seat next to her. "It's been a while since anyone was able to enjoy the music with me."_

_A sad look crossed the manager's face. "Unfortunately, she is deaf. I fear she shall never know the joys of music." He sighed, truly upset for the girl. "If you'll excuse me, I must get back to work." With a small bow, he left the old woman and young girl alone._

_"Deaf, eh?" the old woman inquired with a twinkle in her eye. Then she signed, "That never stopped me." She cackled at the dumbfounded look on Yukari's little face._

_"You too?" the girl asked in disbelief. She frowned down at the stage, then back at the wizened face. "I don't understand."_

_"Now, now" the woman chided humorously. "Remember your manners. My name is Mai. What is yours?"_

_"Yukari," she quickly spelled out. "How?"_

_"You don't get sidetracked easily," Mai said, quirking an eyebrow. "Very well." The lights in the hall dimmed, signaling the start of the concert. "Perfect timing." The musicians moved their instruments into a position that Yukari knew would make sounds, but as ever, she heard nothing. __"Watch the musicians as they play," Mai instructed._

_Yukari did as she was told, but still heard nothing. However, soon she became engrossed in what she saw. Currently, the players all had mournful looks on their faces and a few of them even expressed their melancholy through their movements, making every note seem laborious. "They seem so sad. What are they playing?"_

_The old woman smiled in approval. "A piece about lost love. Do you see? Music is so much more than just the notes and rhythms. They play from the heart. If you but open your heart to the music, it will connect with theirs. Listen with your heart, not your ears, and you will understand."_

_Returning her attention to the stage, Yukari resumed her observing, trying to connect. She watched and waited in quiet anticipation...but nothing happened. She gazed at the flautist's grievous expression as he played a solo. Then, something changed. The soloist's pain was so real that Yukari began to feel it as her own. She was no longer an observer, but a participant._

_Then...she _heard_!_

_She heard the song that the musicians held in their hearts, the one they were striving to convey to the audience. In a sense, it was even more grand than what her ears could have perceived. It was the pure intention, without mistakes. It was the piece as the musicians wanted it to sound, perfection._

_It was beautiful._

_Her eyes wet with the beginnings of tears, Yukari turned to Mai. "Thank you."_

_"You are most welcome, my dear," Mai replied fondly._

_Eagerly, Yukari turned back to the players, listening intently. She knew that a violin solo was coming up. But, as her mother began to play, Yukari was startled to find that she couldn't hear her. She could still hear the other musicians, but not her mother._

_"Why can't I hear her?" the young girl asked with a frown._

_Mai gave a heavy sigh. "I've never heard her. She doesn't play from the heart."_

_This piece of information might have troubled Yukari, but she was far too excited to care at the moment and continued to become engrossed in the concert._

* * *

A tear slid down Yukari's cheek. The next time Ri had accompanied her mother to the concert hall, she'd discovered that the sweet old lady who had taught her to listen with her heart had passed away. Since then, Yukari started expanding the skill until she was able to hear even general conversations.

Not once had she heard more than a whisper from her parents.

"Are you okay?" a soft voice murmured in Ri's ear. Yukari jumped and toppled out of her chair. Having been lost in thought, she hadn't noticed Naminé come into the room. "Sorry, maybe I should have knocked."

"I doubt that would have made much difference," Yukari muttered dryly, trying to still her trembling hands. She'd been on edge since shortly after the fight. After Riku…

"Don't worry," Naminé said in a calming voice, reaching out a hand to help Yukari up. "It's over, now. You're okay. Riku will be okay." She rubbed comforting circles on Yukari's back.

True, Yen Sid had assured them that Riku would recover, that all he needed was some rest. But… "It's nowhere near over," Ri muttered darkly. It wouldn't be over until they defeated Astan. Until then, there were many more fights, many more chances for them to get hurt. Many more chances for them to get killed. She couldn't stand to think about what would happen if Riku died, her first real friend.

Naminé giggled quickly. "Yes, but if Riku died, Sora and Kairi would find a way to bring him back just to give him grief about it." She gave an uncharacteristically mischievous grin. "That's if you didn't beat them to it."

"Emphasis on the 'beat,'" Riku said breathlessly with a groan. For the second time, Yukari tipped off her seat. "Sit much?" he teased.

"In one piece much?" she managed to muster up as a counter. "Idiot," she bit as she dusted herself off and returned to her seat.

"You're welcome," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Naminé hid a smile behind her hand. "How are you feeling?" she inquired.

Groaning again, Riku responded, "Like I've been through the rinse cycle." He tried to push himself up, but Yukari and Naminé both forced him back down.

"You're on bed rest for awhile and you're not to do anything too strenuous until we get to our next world," Naminé explained with another grin. "Easy on the dancing and sparring."

"Will you at least let me give us a destination?" he grumbled back.

"Don't need to," Ri stated. "Your Keyblade did it without you. It was pretty cool, actually."

His eyebrows lifted with interest. "Guess that makes me unnecessary," he joked.

Yukari flinched and strangled back a sob at his choice of words. She tried to avoid his gaze, but he reached out a hand to grab her wrist and guided her eyes to his. Words weren't needed as he looked straight into her eyes. They held a strong assurance in them, much different from Naminé's calm assurances. His heart spoke of his complete determination to see the worlds at peace. It would be a struggle. More of them would get hurt. But it would all work out in the end because none of them would stop until it did.

"I'm not going anywhere," he stated strongly. His firm confidence provided an anchor for her to attach to amidst the storm of her doubts and fears. They could...no, they _would_ get through this. Together.

"Me neither," she affirmed.

Satisfied, Riku's eyelids began to droop and he released Yukari's hand. "We should let Riku get some rest now," Naminé whispered. "Why don't you come with me and we'll get Roxas to teach you how to fly the Gummi?" She took Yukari's hand and led her out of the room as Riku drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Yukari gripped the steering column of the Gummi tightly. Learning how to fly it entailed taking over for Roxas as pilot, apparently. Traveling through space was easy enough, since no Heartless ships had attacked them, but now he was expecting her to land the thing!

"Do you have any other teaching methods besides 'throw them in and hope they figure it out?'" she growled as she cut the throttle, trying to ease the brightly colored ship into orbit around their next world.

Roxas laughed. "But this works so well," he drawled. "Why would we do anything different?" He patted her in a spot that he knew was bruised; after all, he was the one who put it there. Riku getting sliced and diced hadn't gotten her out of training, unfortunately.

Yukari hissed in pain, but managed to direct it at the jerk, which only made him laugh harder. Gently, she guided the Gummi towards their destination and smirked in triumph when she felt the slight tug of gravity that indicated a successful docking. Feeling very pleased with herself, she powered down the engines.

"Well done," Riku praised quietly, leaning on a chair casually despite some lingering soreness. He pushed away from it and headed for the teleporter. "Ready?" he asked, giving her a hard look. Was she ready to throw herself headlong into danger again? Was she ready for the possibility that someone else might get hurt?

Her mouth turned up into one of her favorite smirks, a smirk that was naively daring, but still conveyed that she understood the reality. "Ready," she confirmed, offering her arm playfully. He linked elbows with her before initiating the warp sequence.

Riku and Yukari beamed down onto a snow covered summit. She eyed the mountain's peak warily; it looked prone to avalanches. Riku, though, walked to the edge of the summit and surveyed the mountain valley below them, a confused look furrowing his brow, but recognition swirling in those strange eyes of his.

"You know this place," she concluded easily.

He nodded. "That's why I'm confused." Ri smirked to herself. He was learning quickly; he didn't need to explain _what _he was feeling to her, just _why_.

Onsaken picked up a few someones approaching them. Naturally, Yukari assumed it was Roxas and Naminé, but a different voice blurted out, "Guess who!" Then, a pair of gloved hands covered her eyes from behind.

Yukari's heart leapt to her throat. Reacting out of alarm, she flipped her attacker over her back. The offender rolled over her and landed on his back with a loud, "Oof!"

She whipped out Onsaken and hunkered into a defensive stance, but Riku's hand around her wrist stilled her. "Whoa, there," he murmured urgently.

Taking a deep breath to calm her panic, Yukari looked down to see a person that she only knew from images with familiar, bright blue eyes. "_Don't_ do that again," she whispered shakily.

"Noted," Sora groaned from the ground. "At least there's snow."

"That's what you get for sneaking up on someone like that," Kairi chided in disapproval. Yukari flinched and spun around, having forgotten that Sora was not alone. Floating near Kairi's ear was a sprite with dirty blond hair, obviously Yuna.

Sora chuckled, "Wow, someone's jumpy today."

"She had her first solo fight a little while ago," Riku cut in, giving Yukari a much-needed moment to compose herself. Sora nodded in understanding, but Kairi frowned and laid comforting hands on the older girl.

"You're shaking," she noticed, sounding concerned.

Yukari took a few more breaths before explaining, "I _really_ don't like having my eyes covered."

A delighted squeal of "Yunie!" was all the warning they had before Rikku came streaking towards them to tackle her cousin in delight. "Hey guys!" Roxas called as he and Naminé followed after Rikku. He glanced at Sora, still lying in the snow. "What happened to you?"

"Snuck up behind Yukari and covered her eyes," he sighed, seeming content to stay on his back in the snow.

Roxas and Naminé both winced in sympathy. "Still a bit jumpy, then," Roxas noticed casually, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder.

Having regained her composure, Yukari argued, "Only when I can't see." She frowned stubbornly at him, daring him to challenge the claim.

"Right," he said slowly, as if she were thick. She knew from his tone that he was just pushing her buttons, though.

Sora, having gotten to his feet, was now dancing around shaking his legs like a wet dog trying to dry off (well, he _was_ dog-boy). "Aw man!" he moaned. "I got snow up my pants." This sent the friends into a round of laughter.

Once the laughter had died down, Kairi surprised Yukari by embracing her warmly. "It's wonderful to finally meet you in person," Kairi said, then giggled as she noticed that Ri had not responded. "You _can_ hug me back, you know."

Yukari looked down the few inches to Kairi's smiling face, then shook her head and returned the gesture. "Sorry," she muttered, feeling more wrong-footed than she'd ever felt in her life, "I don't usually do hugs."

"No wonder," Sora chuckled, rocking backwards with his hands behind his head. This _had_ to be his trademark pose everyone was telling her about. "Look who she's been hanging out with." He flashed that amazing grin at her and her awkwardness immediately vanished.

Kairi giggled again, wrinkling her nose cutely, and released Yukari. "Well, we'll just have to change that." She then insisted on getting hugs from the others as well. To Yukari's credit, Roxas seemed a little taken aback, too.

"We can work our way up to a hug," Sora told her.

Yukari bit her lip and looked down. "Sorry about before," she muttered sheepishly.

"Ah, don't worry about it," he waved away with a bright smile. "Riku's tricks are worse." He glanced at his best friend, waiting for him to deny it, but Riku just smirked and kept quiet. "It was a nice throw too."

"It was," Riku agreed with the slightest hint of pride.

Shooting Ri an impish grin, Sora extended his hand to her. "I'm Sora," he introduced, his eyes sparkling with bright humor.

"Yukari," she replied, taking his hand. "Nice to meet you –" She smirked mischievously, removing her hand from harm's way. "– dog-boy."

"I am most definitely _not_ a dog on this world," Sora bristled, causing Ri to snort in amusement at the doggish reaction.

"Sorry," she apologized in a tone that clearly indicated she wasn't sorry at all, "but you shall always be dog-boy in my heart. First impressions and all that." Sora sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Look on the bright side," Yuna inserted.

"Yeah!" Rikku crowed. "At least you're not six inches tall."

A small cricket in a coat and top hat hopped onto Sora's shoulder. "Come now," he chided. "It's not _that_ bad."

Wagging her finger, Rikku drawled in a sing-song tone, "You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what it was like to be big."

The conscience looked like he was about to respond, but he glanced at Yukari and immediately changed tact. "Oh-ho-ho-ho," he chortled, "I seem to have forgotten my manners. Cricket's the name." He swept his top hat off his head and gave Ri a very gentlemanly bow. It ticked her off. "Jiminy Cricket. Pleased to meet you, ma'am." Yukari opened her mouth to tell Jiminy off, but a warning touch on the arm from Riku made her reluctantly close it.

"Yunie! Yunie!" Rikku trilled, dragging her cousin to float uncomfortably near Yukari's face. "Yuna, meet Yukari."

Yuna smiled sweetly and waved at Ri. "Hey, there." She turned to her cousin and asked, "Fryd'c cra mega?"

"Cra'c ymnekrd," Rikku spouted off in Al-Bhed. Little did they know that Yukari had started learning the language when she was bored. "Cra lyh pa naymmo frah cra vaamc mega ed, pid cemmehacc ran knuilro."

"Cuihtc mega cra hattc du mekrdah ib," Yuna disapproved.

"Dudymmo," Rikku agreed enthusiastically.

Yukari sighed disgustedly. "E lyh ihtancdyht oui," she bit. Okay, so she hadn't understood much at all, but they didn't need to know that. They just needed to be intimidated enough to stop speaking the unusual language.

"Rats!" Yuna exclaimed.

"Poopie," Rikku muttered dejectedly. "I _knew_ I shouldn't have put those translations in the Commsphere." Victory! The sneaks were fooled.

As was everyone else. "Quick study, remember?" Ri reminded them with a satisfied smirk. She turned back to Sora and Kairi. "Do you actually look normal for once?" she mocked good-naturedly.

"We normally look normal," Sora replied matter-of-factly in a very good imitation of Yukari's most know-it-all tone, "hence it being normal." Yukari's jaw dropped in disbelief.

She wasn't the only one either. Riku was staring at Sora, blinking rapidly, as if Sora had grown a third arm or a second head. "Did Sora just say something witty?" he stuttered.

"To Yukari?" Roxas gasped. Kairi and Naminé started giggling.

"Oh, oh!" Rikku squealed excitedly. "Let's record the moment for posterity!" This made the girls giggle harder.

"Yeah, yeah, the worlds are ending," Sora drawled, waving his hand lazily. "We already knew that."

"Seriously, Sora, stop," Riku said, faking terror. "My perception of reality is fragile enough as it is."

"I dunno, Riku," Kairi said dubiously. "You know what a klutz Sora is." Sora scowled at her, then his face cracked into a grin and he laughed quickly, pecking Kairi on the cheek.

Riku took advantage of the momentary distraction and bent his head close to Yukari's ear. "What do you think?" he asked for her 'ears' only. There was an undertone of nervousness in his voice, as if he was afraid she would disapprove. It was sweet that he cared so much.

Yukari looked sideways at Sora and Kairi. An incredible sense of goodness radiated from them that no electronic device could ever capture. It was easy to understand why Riku would go to such great lengths for them.

"They're so..." she paused, searching for an appropriate word, "_nice._" Riku chuckled under his breath. "But painfully likeable." He quickly bit his lip to keep from bursting out laughing. That would've been an awkward explanation.

Sora cleared his throat. "Not that I'm not happy to see you guys," Sora began, "but what are you doing here? The Land of Dragons is a Light World." That explained Riku's previous reaction.

"Good question," Riku shrugged. He summoned Way to the Dawn and tossed it to Sora, who deftly caught it. "Ask it."

"How do you fight with this?" Sora blurted, holding the Keyblade out from him like it was something nasty. "The hilt is tiny! I mean, it's not even a hand-and-a-half. What do you do when you need to use two hands?"

Riku raised an eyebrow. "I don't."

"Riku's so fast, he can get in two hits for every one of yours," Roxas pointed out.

"Okay, I'll give you that," Sora admitted grudgingly. "But this thing is still tiny."

"Then I'll take it back," Riku huffed, holding out his hand. When Way to the Dawn didn't immediately return to him, Riku frowned and Sora grinned.

"No one can summon a Keyblade from the Keyblade Master," Yukari tutted.

"You should really read what we write," Yuna scolded.

"Yeah," added Rikku. "We're not recording for our health here."

Sora preened proudly as Riku's frown turned to a scowl. "You want it back?" he taunted infuriatingly. "Come and take it!" With that, he sprinted off through the snow.

"Oh no, you don't!" Riku bellowed after him. Without a spare thought for anyone else, Riku pursued his sneak thief of a best friend.

Sora had only gotten several hundred yards before Riku caught up. He launched himself at Sora, sending them both tumbling through the snow. The tackle knocked Way to the Dawn out of Sora's hands, but neither noticed. They started wrestling on the ground – like they used to do back before the darkness came to their islands – laughing their heads off.

When neither of them had the energy to go on, they flopped onto their backs, panting heavily. "You...chased me...this time," Sora gasped, grinning sideways at his best friend. "Can't believe...you let me...wail on you. ...Idiot."

Riku huffed out a few chuckles. "You...barely...scratched me."

"Yeah right," Sora retorted. "I...kicked your butt. ...Point for me." Riku just grunted in denial. "What was with the Organization sheik?" Sora wondered, rolling onto his side and propping his head on his arm. "I thought you didn't like fashion trends."

Riku snorted, doing likewise. "If you call shields a fashion trend."

"Shields?" Sora repeated, frowning.

"Those cloaks weren't for show," Riku explained. "They protect the wearer from the darkness."

"Huh," Sora mused. "Never would've guessed." He rolled onto his back again and propped his hands behind his head comfortably. "So, what's Yukari think of us?"

Riku sighed. He should've known Sora wouldn't miss their whispering. There was no use hiding it, either. Sora would just annoy the truth out of Riku. At least he knew Sora wouldn't bother Yukari about it; that way Riku wouldn't incur any bodily harm. "Painfully likable."

Grinning like a moron, Sora responded, "I think I like that description." His voice took on a wondering tone. "You know, considering she's not much of a people person, she sure does have a way with people."

"Don't I know it," Riku muttered, also rolling over again. His mind wandered back to Twilight Town and the way Yukari had helped Roxas handle his fear. It proceeded to amble over to Yen Sid's Tower and Yukari's breakdown. When she'd started to panic, he'd wanted nothing more than to calm her down. She'd been scared to pieces and he'd held her tightly to keep her together. But, as he was holding her, he couldn't help noticing that he enjoyed feeling the warmth of her body against his. This only served to further confuse his mixed feelings.

Then, there was Yukari's duel with Astan's replica of a replica. Seeing (basically) _his_ Keyblade coming down at her, he'd reacted on instinct. There was really no other choice but to jump in front of her. He couldn't have that stain on his blade. But no...he would have done the same regardless of the weapon. It was more fundamental than that.

Even more, there was her reaction to his near-death experience. He'd spared her from physical injury, but the fight had caused her a great deal of mental anguish. She'd seemed so lost and confused, not to mention overwhelmed. His pain didn't seem nearly as bad seeing her in such a state. He'd wanted nothing more than to get back that sarcastic know-it-all. It was such a relief that he had been able to ease her distress.

What did it all mean?

"Hey Sora?" Riku called, trying to be as casual as possible. Sora would see right through it eventually, but Riku was going to put off eventually as long as possible so he could sort through his feelings without external influence.

"Hm?" his friend hummed back.

"I know you've liked Kairi for ages," he began, pleased with how steady his voice was, "but when did you realize you loved her?" He'd been curious for a while, anyway.

Sora was quiet for a very long time. "It was when I picked up that Dark Keyblade," he said slowly. "I realized what needed to be done...and didn't question it. I just did it." He looked at Riku quizzically. "Why do you ask?"

Was that it? Had he fallen in love with her? Riku locked his eyes skyward, but he could still feel Sora's gaze boring through him. "What?" he shrugged. "My best friends finally hook up and I'm not allowed to wonder how it happened?" Finally, he sensed Sora's eyes leave him and risked a peek. The younger boy had his eyes closed and a satisfied smile on his face.

"I _thought_ something had changed between you two," Sora boasted smugly. "I bet you jumped in front of a death blow to save her, didn't you?"

"Guilty," Riku confirmed with a slight bit of embarrassment.

After a long pause, Sora finally asked, "So...do you?"

"Do I what?" Riku asked, stalling for just a bit more time.

"Love her."

It was Riku's turn to fall silent. "I guess I do," he finally concluded. Once he said it, though, he knew it was true. Riku had fallen in love with the blunt, pushy, intelligent, caring, passionate woman that was Yukari.

"I'm not sure whether to be happy or scared for you," Sora joked, prodding a genuine smile out of Riku. "Are you gonna tell her?"

No," Riku said immediately, producing a pout from Sora. "I rather like my eardrums unharmed." Disappointment rolled off Sora in waves as he huffed and crossed his arms. "She needs to sort herself out first."

"After that," Sora drawled impatiently, as if Riku should have assumed this in the first place.

He just shook his head at his nosy best friend. "After that, she'll probably figure it out herself."

"We-e-e-ell..."

"You can't tell her, either," Riku frowned sternly.

"Oh, _fine_," Sora groaned dramatically. "I won't tell her." A mischievous grin flitted across his face. "I'll get Kairi to."

"You wouldn't dare!" Riku snarled, lunging for Sora. Unfortunately, Sora had Riku beat when it came to reflexes. He ducked around Riku's furious grab and streaked off through the snow, laughing his head off.

Scooping up some snow, Riku viciously packed it as tight as he could. He chucked the snowball and was satisfied when he heard it smash on Sora's head.

"Oh, so that's how it is!" Sora called. He cast Magnega, which both gathered and packed a tremendous amount of snow. When the spell stopped, Sora pitched the huge snowball at Riku with his Keyblade.

It hit Riku in his chest with a soft whumph and he wheezed as the air was knocked out of him. Digging the tip of Way to the Dawn into the snow, Riku fired a Dark Aura spell. Snow splashed up around him and he used Dark Shield to repel the snow at Sora.

"Hey! Watch it!" Roxas yelped as a glob of snow hit his back. Outwardly angry, he joined the snowball fight, a grin betraying his true feelings.

Yukari watched the transformation with awe. When it was just the four of them, they were friendly, sure. But their personalities were all very grounded and they tended to be much too serious for silly things like a snowball fight. Sora and Kairi brought a lightheartedness with them that gave them all a chance to be kids again...though, in Yukari's case, it was more like for the first time. She never wanted it to end, for their sakes.

She owed everything to these people, these five wonderful, beautiful people. They'd shown her such compassion, such acceptance from the very beginning. Even Roxas, despite the grudge he'd held against her. They were...her friends. And not just those five; everyone else, too. Including that twit, Rikku.

_They wouldn't be your friends much longer if they knew the truth_, a dark voice whispered in her mind. But, no. She realized now that wasn't true. Because...she was _their _friend, too. The realization brought a warmth to her heart. It swelled in her chest until it threatened to spill out and melt the snow around her. Not even the kindly old Mai had evoked such a response.

She gasped from the strength of the emotion and placed a hand over her heart. "Ri?" Naminé questioned worriedly.

"Is something wrong?" Kairi asked in concern, immediately moving to Yukari's elbow and placing comforting hands on her.

"No," Ri whispered. "It's just..." She gazed into identical pairs of anxious, blue eyes and the warmth surged again. "I'm feeling some strong emotions right now."

Humans and sprites alike let air rush out of their lungs in one huge sigh of relief. "Don't scare us like that, girlie!" Rikku scolded.

"Sorry," Ri replied quietly. "I've...never felt this way before."

Kairi frowned in confusion, looked towards the boys, looked back at Yukari. Then, her eyes grew wide and a bright grin spread across her face.

"Don't get too excited," Naminé warned. "This isn't about Riku." She paused, eyeing Ri suspiciously. "Is it?" Rikku and Yuna were staring at her eagerly, waiting for the answer.

Yukari remembered having Riku's arms around her and the way he had assured her in the Gummi. He made her feel safe, protected. Not like she was a helpless damsel who needed rescuing, but more like she knew she could always count on him to be there for her, to back her up. And she was right. When that Restless had brought down the Keyblade, he'd been right there to take the blow in her place.

"Yes," Ri finally said and Kairi's grin grew even wider. "But there's more to it than just him," she continued, trying – and failing – to explain herself.

Kairi just sighed in exasperation. "Well, how does Riku make you feel?" she queried impatiently.

"Warm all over," Yukari replied, "like the sun's in my chest." They all got these disgustingly mushy looks on their faces. "But it's not just Riku," she clarified, not wanting them to get the wrong idea. "_All_ of you make me feel that way, to some extent." She sighed in defeat and smiled ruefully. "Riku just does it the most."

It's because we're friends, silly," Kairi teased.

That explained why Yukari was unfamiliar with this emotion. One meeting could spark a friendship, but it would need more to catch fire. Love in any form, friend or family, was not something she grew up with. Now she understood that there wasn't much of a distinction between the two. Her friends _were_ her family now. And yet…this still didn't quite capture her feelings for Riku.

"No one's _ever_ made you feel like this?" Naminé questioned hesitantly, not letting that tiny detail slip past.

Yukari shook her head.

"Not even your parents?" Kairi asked in complete disbelief.

Ha! "Definitely not."

Soul-crushing dismay washed over Kairi's face. "Oh, Yukari," she murmured, enveloping Yukari in another warm hug. Yukari didn't need the comfort; she'd walked out on her past and left those feelings behind. But just the gesture itself, the fact that Kairi was truly heartbroken for her, was worth more than she could say.

"Listen," Yukari said firmly...or tried to. Her voice was shaking from all the new sensations. She gently prized Kairi off of her and took the younger girl's shoulders firmly, looking straight into her eyes. "I'm touched that you're so upset about this," Yukari admitted sincerely, then grew stern. "But I'm not and no one else should be, either."

Kairi opened her mouth to argue, but Yukari placed a finger on Kairi's lips to stop her. "Hakuna matata," Ri said. "As disgustingly sappy as this is going to sound, I don't want to worry about my past. I want to build a future full of love and laughter." She resisted the urge to make a face.

"That won't be a problem," Naminé said quietly. Ri turned to the shyer girl and was surprised to see a tear glistening down her cheek, although Naminé was smiling quite serenely at the moment. "Aiko will make sure of that."

"Got that right," Kairi half-giggled, half-choked.

"Who's Aiko?" wondered Ri.

"Sora's mother," Kairi replied. "She likes to say 'All children are my children, Sora's just the only one I gave birth to.' She'll positively adore you."

Really?" Ri expressed, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes," Naminé affirmed. "Her heart bleeds for children with..." She searched for an appropriate term. "...less-than-ideal situations. That's why she took so well to Riku and me." She realized what she said and glanced apologetically at Kairi, looking quite flustered.

Yukari resisted the urge to groan and rub her temples. It amazed her how complicated her friends' lives were. "Go on," she prodded, twirling her finger in a circle.

"Well, Mayor Makoto took me in when I came to the islands," Kairi narrated. She was so naturally forthcoming, much more so than her former Nobody, though Naminé had loosened up with Kairi beside her. "I still live with him and his wife, Aneko. They're wonderful and I love them very much, but Aiko is the one who became like a mother to me on the islands. She can't stand to see children without any parents."

"Or 'less-than-ideal' parents," Ri guessed.

Kairi and Naminé shared a nervous look. "She'll find out, anyway," Naminé sighed. "She finds out everything." Yukari snorted in amusement. They were learning, too.

"Riku's parents just use him to keep up appearances," Kairi began slowly. "They don't really care about him. Aiko has always wanted to appeal for custody of him, but his dad's the best lawyer on the islands and there's not really any grounds for it. Riku hates them, but he's still well provided for. Aiko's furious that the only thing she can do is open her house to Riku whenever he needs it."

Yukari took a moment to process this new information. She'd always wondered if Riku's problems ran deeper than the darkness. Legalese wasn't her strong point, but she'd learned enough planning her own 'escape.' Perhaps it would also be enough to help Riku. Perhaps escaping his old life would help him move past his mistakes.

But her mind was starting to stray into the dark corners of her mind she'd promised never to go to again. She needed a distraction. "Enough of this," she snapped, though not unkindly. "It's depressing. Tell me more about love."

"Oo! Oo! Yunie!" Rikku chirped enthusiastically. "Tell them how you fell in love with you-know-who!"

Yuna put her hands behind her back and looked off into space dreamily. "To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure how it happened. It was a gradual thing. But I do remember when I figured it out."

Rikku wiggled in excitement. "This is my favorite part!"

"It was when he crashed my wedding."

That statement was met with a ringing silence. "Wait," Yukari deadpanned. "The love of your life crashed your wedding? Who were you marrying?"

"Maester Seymour," Yuna replied easily.

"Hmph," Rikku grunted angrily. It surprised Yukari; she'd thought the little ray of sunshine was incapable of anger. "That jerk didn't deserve to be called Maester, _forcing_ Yunie to marry him like that. He was a nasty piece of work, too. We had to kill him _four_ times before he stayed dead." She noticed the incredulous stares she was getting. "Don't ask."

"Anyway," Yuna began again. "My friends came barreling to the wedding in an airship the likes of which hadn't been seen for over a millennium. They came sliding down the anchor wires to rescue me with him leading the way and that's when I knew." She woke up from her dream and sighed heavily.

"We'll find him, Yuna," Kairi said comfortingly. Yukari noted the inclusive 'we' with interest. "The worlds have a way of bringing people back together." She chuckled. "Believe me, I know."

"So what about you?" Ri asked, turning to Kairi. "How did you fall in love with Sora?"

"It was gradual for me, too," Kairi said brightly. "I don't agree with that love-at-first-sight nonsense. True love takes time."

Yukari smiled crookedly. "What about friendship at first sight?" She and Riku definitely had that.

"That happens all the time," Kairi asserted firmly. "It didn't take you and Riku long to connect, did it?"

"Spot on," Ri professed.

"Of course, I am," she giggled teasingly. "I know Riku." She sobered and took a breath to continue. "It was when Sora stabbed himself with that Dark Keyblade."

A shiver ran up Yukari's spine. "When he turned himself into a Heartless?" she clarified.

"That's right," Kairi confirmed. "He did what it took to save me without caring about what would happen to him. That's when I knew I loved him."

She was in love with him... Yukari had fallen in love with the stubborn, rude, talented, loyal, passionate man that was Riku.

"How about you, Naminé?" Yuna wondered.

Rikku grabbed Yuna's arm in anticipation. "Yeah, your story's gotta be a bit different."

Naminé blushed a bit. "The love was always there. I just didn't realize it was Roxas I loved until I met him." She grimaced at Kairi. "Sorry."

"You don't count," Kairi scoffed, then grimaced herself at how insensitive that came out.

"She means we can't hold you to normal standards," Yukari tried.

"And it's Yukari with the save!" Rikku announced, cupping her hands and imitating the roar of a crowd.

"Yeah, what Ri said," Kairi amended with a chuckle. "I wish I had a way with words like that."

A large lump of snow hit Ri on her exposed back. "Dammit! That's cold!" she exploded, whirling around and shaking her fist. "The asshole that did that is going to have hell to pay!"

"Or not," Kairi deadpanned. Naminé put a hand over her mouth to smother her giggles.

While the girls had been having their heart-to-heart, the boys had put all their time and effort into building elaborate snow forts and were now in the process of breaching the enemies' defenses. Yukari turned back to her partners in crime and smirked deviously.

"How about we crash their party, girls?" Yukari suggested.

Kairi and Naminé grinned at Yukari, saluting. "What are your orders, General?" Kairi joked.

"Lieutenant Kairi, Lieutenant Naminé, ready the heavy artillery!" General Yukari ordered, falling into the charade.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Aviator Rikku, Aviator Yuna, provide aerial surveillance!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Once their defenses are broken, wait for my signal to begin an offensive!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Ri turned towards the snow forts, assessing their structure and looking for weak points. Once her calculations were satisfactory, she pulled out Onsaken and directed some highly-specified sound waves at the frozen defenses. As she had planned, the vibrations cause the forts to implode on the hapless troops cowering in safety. Various expressions of surprise and anger floated out of the carnage.

"Hey!" Roxas pouted, blowing snow out of his face. "I used all my mana on that."

"Yeah," Sora added as he struggled through the remains of his fort. "Why'd you go and do that?"

"This _is _a snowball fight, isn't it?" Ri asked, rolling her eyes. She quickly scooped up some snow and packed it tight. "Fire!" Two snowballs flew past her as she released her own, easily finding their marks on the still impeded boys. Dumbstruck expressions peaked out from under the snow on their faces.

"Battle of the Sexes!" Ri called. She swung Onsaken, sending a shockwave through the snow at the boys. Sora used Firaga to melt the resulting snow wave, splashing the boys with water. Through a brilliant stroke of genius, Kairi and Naminé cast Blizzaga spells at the drenched guys, trapping them in icy crystals.

"They look so pretty!" Naminé giggled.

"Almost like ice sculptures," added Kairi.

Riku did his best to glare at Ri through the ice binding him. She flipped a smirk in his direction. "Aw, is de wittle boie cowd?"

Riku responded by relaxing his body, even quelling his shivers, and closing his eyes. If this wasn't strange enough, Roxas was doing the same thing. Their power seemed to drain away from them and into Sora. Just what were they planning?

A flash of light burst away from Sora, intense enough to obliterate the ice binding the boys. Blinking her eyes to clear them, Ri looked over at Sora and her jaw dropped. His clothes had turned white, though the wisps of light around them gave his clothes a silvery sheen. He was _floating_ over the snow and two Keyblades _hovered_ on his back.

Yukari glanced up at him with trepidation. "What is _that_?" she breathed.

"Final Form," squeaked Kairi. "It takes the power of two other people to activate, but Final Form's power more than makes up for the loss."

"Why must boys be so competitive all the time?" Ri groaned.

With a twitch of his hand, Sora sent his Keyblades zooming under the snow of their own accord, kicking up massive amounts of the frozen powder. Kairi and Naminé had to cast Reflega to keep them from being buried.

This must have been Sora's plan, because he melted the snow with Firaga and refroze it with Blizzaga, creating an ice cage around the girls. What amazed Yukari was that he did this without moving.

Blowing a stray hair out of her face, Ri started vibrating the ice. At its outmost amplitude, she smacked the wall, causing it to burst outward. Sora didn't even try to dodge; he just batted the ice shards away. It wasn't like he needed to move with all that power, anyway. Although...it was almost as if he was _avoiding_ moving.

Hit with a sudden brain wave, Ri rushed forward and tackled Sora, sending him careening out of control. They tumbled through the air as Sora tried to rein in his erratic movements. Kairi and Naminé could barely breathe from laughing as Sora struggled to stop while gallantly keeping Yukari from falling in the snow. It did no good, though, as both of them fell from the air when he ran out of the energy used to maintain the drive form and reverted.

Riku and Roxas shuddered once as their powers flooded back into them, staring at Sora and Yukari, lying in the snow. The four glanced at each other briefly before joining in Kairi and Naminé's laughter.

Sora pushed himself up first, still chuckling, and turned to offer his hand to Yukari. As she grasped it, Onsaken picked up a distant twang. Reacting on instinct, she yanked hard on the hand she held, causing Sora to fall on her just as something whizzed through the space where his head had been and buried itself in the snow.

More twangs followed and Sora threw up a hand in response. A flight of arrows stopped dead in front of them as they met his Reflega spell. He and Yukari quickly pushed themselves back up.

There was a guttural yell as men dressed in animal furs dropped down from ledges overhead, surrounding them. Most of the warriors had shouldered their bows in favor of brandishing small sabers at them. Several even had halberds, gleaming wickedly.

Sora gave Yukari an encouraging grin before charging the closest man. With surprise on his side, the boy managed to disarm his opponent and knock him out before any others rose to engage him.

Yukari saw another warrior go down before she had to concentrate on her own foes. A saber swung for her head and screeched against Onsaken as Yukari moved to block it. A second jabbed for her side. Instead of blocking this one, she spun around her first attacker, away from the sharp blade. The second one tried to slow the swing even as his comrade tried to shield himself, which only tangled their weapons together. Yukari took the opportunity to give them both solid whacks to the head.

Someone swung a halberd at her wildly, knocking her to the ground despite her defense. Sora quickly jumped to her aid, keeping the warriors away long enough for her to shake it off. Scrambling to her feet, she backed up towards Sora as their foes began to surround them.

Her heart began fluttering rapidly as the panic began to overcome her. Onsaken was vibrating in her hand not because of its function, but her trembling. Sensing her distress, Sora placed a gloved hand on her arm to steady her. The gesture was small, but Yukari immediately found her confidence bolstered. These thugs wouldn't take them down!

The two of them exchanged a few more blows with the attackers before Yukari noticed that some of the downed enemies had regained their wits, most of them on Sora's tally. "This is no time to play nice!" she scolded him in exasperation.

"They're people!" he shot back with horror.

"They're people," Ri mocked, rolling her eyes. Then an idea came to her. "They're people..." She raised Onsaken and tuned it to the same frequency as the Rizlord's smallest tail before directing the sound waves at their opponents. The men all toppled as they suddenly found it very hard to balance. Sora bounded forward and began disabling the warriors.

A glance over her shoulder revealed that Riku's strength was ebbing already and the others were having trouble compensating. As Sora finished with their lot, Yukari swung her weapon around and sent the unbalancing waves to help her friends. Her fatigue increased immediately and she found herself unable to keep the prongs vibrating for long, but it was long enough to turn the tide.

Yukari swayed violently and Sora rushed over to support her. "Distance will get you every time," he said with a chuckle.

Panting from exhaustion and completely drained after the adrenaline rush, Ri gazed up at Sora's grinning face. He'd saved the worlds twice already and yet he still came out of every fight with that annoyingly cheerful disposition. "How do you do it?" she asked in desperation.

"Do what?" he responded in confusion.

"Keep all the fighting from wearing you down," she whispered with a bit of shame, feeling like this was something she should already know.

Sora's face softened into a warm look of understanding and reassurance. "With lots of practice and effort," he said, reading her misgivings effortlessly. More seriously, he continued, "I make the most of the moments I'm given and fight through every battle to get to the next moment." He helped her get her feet back under her and placed a hand on her back encouragingly. "I live for the day when I'll finish a battle and there will only be moments afterward."

Unconsciously, her eyes turned towards Riku, being attended by Naminé and lectured by Kairi, as Yukari pondered Sora's words. Was this a moment she'd been given? Sora made a strangled squeaking noise that made Yukari turn back to him, her eyebrow quirked.

"I didn't say anything," he blurted quickly, avoiding her eyes and trying to put an innocent look on his face. He only managed to look flustered and excited at the same time.

The others began walking towards them. "I don't like this," Riku called as he came into earshot.

Sora coughed awkwardly, trying too hard to appear as if nothing was wrong. "Me neither. Maybe we should check in at the palace." Riku gave him a questioning look, but nodded his head in agreement.

That was a big, fat yes. "Wait," Yukari said, "there's something I need to do first." She grabbed Riku's shirt and pulled his face closer to hers, eliciting a yelp of complaint from her captive. When she put her lips against his, though, his protests ceased. In fact, he began returning the affection. She was sorely tempted to just stay there all day, but they had places to go and people to see.

Pushing Riku away by the grip she still had on his shirt, she turned and began walking away. "Okay, now we can go." Her friends' reactions were extremely satisfying as she passed; Roxas looked mildly taken aback, Naminé was shaking her head in amusement, Kairi was giggling uncontrollably, and Sora had a fist in his mouth to keep from laughing too hard.

Feeling very pleased with herself, Ri continued to strut along. "Other way," Riku's voice called after her, dripping with the smirk that was most certainly on his face. She about-faced and marched on, determined not to look at anyone and fighting the massive blush in her cheeks. When the sniggering started, though, it didn't bother her nearly as much as expected.

After all, she had the next moment to look forward to.

* * *

**A/N:** Blarg! This chapter was a bitch. I wrote a good portion of it years ago, but since then, the characters have changed ever so slightly that the events still fit, but the details needed tweaking. It was almost there, but not quite, and I had the hardest time fixing it.

Just to warn you, this next bit is going to be Mulan 2 based. Yes, I know, that one sucked major donkey balls, but I'm going to try to improve it a bit. You know, little things, like making sure the characters are in character. :/ The thing is, the general story line is perfect for my purposes at this point. Yuck.

OMFG! Did you see Squeenix's E3 announcement? Not only does FF15 look epic, but KH3! I don't think they could have done anything more maddeningly exciting than showing Sora with the Master Keeper. WTF is going on? WAAAAHHHH!

**New Characters:**

Aiko: Kingdom Hearts III (to be precise, there is a woman in KH1 who calls for Sora and is presumably his mother, but it wasn't really a character, so I think I'll take the credit. :P)


	30. A Matter of Trust

Chapter 30: A Matter of Trust

Riku was in high spirits as they began climbing the steps to the Imperial Palace. He was in such a good mood he didn't care that his chest muscles were getting tight and he was having trouble breathing.

"Oiy, speed demons," Yukari called ahead to Roxas and Naminé, who were setting the pace. "How about you slow it down for Gimpy, here?" Apparently, Yukari cared.

"I'm not limping," Riku protested.

"Close enough," Ri shrugged, already slowing down.

"I'm fine," he argued further.

"And now you'll be fine later, too," she stated with finality, indicating that he'd lost this argument before it had even begun.

"Oooh," Sora joked. "She's already harping about your health. Better watch out." He and Kairi both started sniggering.

"She's always done this," Roxas griped, highly irritated. Sora and Kairi had been taking every opportunity to poke fun at Riku and Yukari. He didn't mind it, and neither did Yukari, fortunately, but it was driving Roxas up a wall.

It was nice to know that someone cared more for his wellbeing than he did, but Roxas was right; she'd always done that. Believe it or not, she had nothing to do with his good mood.

…Okay, she had some to do with it. Learning that she loved him back was great, but they were both still getting used to the idea. Plus, it just seemed like a natural progression of their relationship. No big deal. Mostly what he felt from that was contentment. Although he had to admit, the kissing was fun.

He was also thrilled that Yukari finally got to meet Sora and Kairi face to face. He'd secretly feared that Ri would find his best friends too sweet or too annoying; sometimes Riku wondered how he himself could keep putting up with them. It was a relief to know that they all got along.

"Only if you tell, first," Ri shouted behind them at Sora and Kairi, twirling Onsaken to remind them that she could hear even the quietest of gossiping. Their furious whispering stopped abruptly and both started turning bright red. Not feeling ashamed in the slightest, Riku let out a hearty laugh.

That was the real reason he was in such good spirits, Sora and Kairi. He hadn't realized how much he'd longed to see them. Even during the year Sora was asleep, he hadn't missed them this much, probably because he didn't actually want to see them. As much as he enjoyed Roxas and Naminé's company, they _weren't_ Sora and Kairi.

"Hey Roxas, Naminé?" Riku spoke up abruptly. They both cocked an ear at him. "I'm sorry."

They both stopped and turned to look at him in surprise. "For what?" Roxas asked in genuine confusion.

"For ever thinking you were just a part of Sora and Kairi," Riku explained sincerely.

Naminé smiled gently at him in gratitude and Roxas turned his head away, a bit shocked and overwhelmed. Finally, Roxas raised his head. "Thanks."

Yukari waited tactfully (for once) for them to start walking again before she butted in. "Don't tell me kissing you turned you into a sappy moron," she said in disapproval.

Riku laughed. "If it did, you have only yourself to blame." She somehow managed to scowl at him while still looking satisfied with his quip.

As they passed through the gigantic doors to the palace, Sora sped up to the front of their group. "This time we're going to _ask nicely_ to see the emperor instead of barging in," he said slowly, looking pointedly at Riku.

"I asked," Riku replied, shrugging. "They just said no."

Sora groaned and palmed his forehead. "Just let me do the talking." He walked up cheerily to the soldiers standing guard before the Emperor's chambers. "Hello," he greeted, "we've come to talk to the Emperor."

"His Majesty is speaking with General Li Shang and Fa Mulan," one of the soldiers barked out. "No disturbances."

"Hey!" Sora burst excitedly. "Shang got promoted? Awesome!" When his enthusiasm failed to provoke any reaction, he continued, "Well, I'm Sora, and these are some of my friends. The Emperor would probably want to talk to us too if he knew we were here." The guards still didn't respond, so he began walking forward, only to have two spears block his path.

"Hey, come on!" Sora protested. "Remember Shan Yu and that Heartless dragon? Remember how Mulan had help? Yeah, that's me."

"No admittance!" the guard barked again.

Riku sighed and stepped forward. "Out of the way," he commanded, summoning Way to the Dawn.

"Riku!" Sora scolded, grabbing Riku's arms and trying to force them down.

The guards both started in surprise. "Sifu Riku?" the other guard gasped. They shared a look, then bowed out of the way. "You and your companions may pass." Riku smirked in satisfaction. Point for him.

"_What?_" Sora blurted in indignation. "How come you're letting him through but not me? He didn't do anything last time except be a jerk!" The guards ignored him.

"Come on," Roxas said exasperatedly, grabbing Sora's arm and dragging him after Riku. Yukari also tried to follow, but the guards barred her way.

"Hey!" she squawked angrily, "What's the big idea?"

"Women don't belong in a military briefing," the first guard stated harshly.

Yukari gaped, too taken aback to say anything at first. "Of all the backwards, chauvinistic –" she growled threateningly, moving towards the guards. Kairi and Naminé quickly grabbed her before she could do anything rash. "Mulan's a girl," Yukari spat in retaliation.

"Mulan is the Hero of China," the second guard said with reverence. Sora grumbled a bit at this.

Riku scowled, not at all pleased with this attitude. Unfortunately, they didn't have the power to change a world's culture instantly. "Let it go," he said softly.

Yukari turned blazing eyes to him. They held the same anger Riku had seen when he'd confronted her about being deaf, the anger at being looked down upon. They also held an accusation. She just couldn't believe that it was possible to know she was deaf and not think less of her. Speaking from experience, Riku knew exactly how possible it was to live without a sense. He also knew just how exceptional Yukari was, even compared to people with all senses. Why couldn't she see that?

Hit with a sudden idea, he whispered even too quietly for himself to hear, "The Emperor will probably let you in if we ask him to."

Her murderous look softened. "Fine," she spat, crossing her arms and plopping down where she was. "I'll be waiting."

"Let's get this over with," Riku said quickly, heading through the doors.

"Yeah, before Yukari brings the place down," Roxas sniggered.

"Don't tempt me," the person in question called after them as they dragged Sora over the threshold. With a final boom, the doors closed behind them.

Mulan and Shang were hunched over a table with the Emperor calmly watching over their shoulders. All three looked up as they heard the door shut.

"Sora!" Mulan and Shang shouted happily. She rushed forward happily to give Sora a warm hug in greeting. Shang followed, offering his hand after Mulan had moved aside.

Sora took it, saluting with the other. "General," he said with a huge grin.

During this exchange, the Emperor had been looking not at Sora, but at Riku, a puzzled expression on his face. Finally, he said in wonder, "Sifu Riku, you've grown smaller." Roxas started snickering.

Riku had to admit that he was impressed. "Yeah," he agreed, indicating that he wasn't about to elaborate. The different voice caused the Emperor's confusion to grow deeper.

"Hey, how come Riku gets let in and I don't?" Sora interrupted, remembering his annoyance from before.

The Emperor turned a twinkling eye to Sora. "I cannot afford any more injured guards," he explained simply. Riku smirked in satisfaction, but quickly put a neutral expression back on his face when the Emperor gave him a stern look. "Rest assured that had Sifu Sora not vouched for your good intentions, I would not be so understanding."

Returning a smile to his face, the Emperor turned to the one among their number that was unfamiliar. "And you must be Sifu Sora's brother," he said to Roxas, bowing in greeting.

"Huh?" He grunted, startled at being addressed and taken off guard by the remark. Riku didn't blame him; he himself had never thought much on that relationship. Roxas glanced at Sora, looking for an answer, but Sora just shrugged into his trademark pose, letting Roxas make the choice. After a brief hesitation, Roxas responded, "Yes, I'm Roxas." He returned the Emperor's bow.

"I imagine this is not coincidence, but you have arrived at a troubled time," the Emperor rumbled in concern.

"That's why we're here, to help," Sora offered.

"And I welcome any who wish to help," the Emperor replied in gratitude, bowing low.

"Actually," Riku interrupted, "there's three more of us outside, too, but the guards –" He was cut off as a blast of wind from the doors opening nearly knocked him down. He spun around to see the person he'd somehow fallen in love with stomping over the threshold. "Yukari…" he warned angrily.

"I've got a bone to pick with you, Gramps!" Yukari shouted, marching up to the Emperor. "One, women are _not_ inferior to men. Two, inferiority is _not_ cause to be disrespectful."

Riku's anger started to subside as he processed what she'd said. With a sinking feeling, he glanced back to the hallway. Kairi and Naminé were approaching, red in the face and looking pissed, leaving the guards unconscious on the floor. Riku started to get angry again, but now at the guards. In his opinion, they must have deserved what they got if they managed to rile up Kairi and Naminé.

The Emperor blinked calmly at Yukari, not even phased by her attitude. "A tree might wish to stand straight, but if it does not bend in the wind, it will break," he stated. Riku didn't quite understand his meaning, but Yukari did; she quickly reined in the rage and reduced it to a mere scowl. "As for your second concern, I will see that the guards are dealt with. I do not tolerate disrespect in my kingdom." This statement even got rid of the scowl.

To the surprise of everyone present, including the Emperor, Yukari placed her right fist over her heart and bowed low to him. "Thank you, wise patient one, and I cry your pardon," she said clearly from her bowed position. "I forgot about your bindings."

Smiling warmly, the Emperor responded, "All is forgiven, child." Once Yukari was upright again, he continued delightedly, "A noble! This will help matters greatly." All of Riku's friends looked at him, as if he should be the Yukari expert now. He just gave them a why-are-you-looking-at-me stare. "This matter requires diplomacy."

"And what matter would that be, Your Majesty?" Shang asked in a business-like tone. He looked rather annoyed at all the interruptions.

"Ah, yes," the Emperor said, motioning for everyone to gather around the table, which had a map displayed over its surface. He pointed out several spots just on the other side of China's border. "Several other Hun tribes were emboldened by Shan Yu's invasion a month ago –" Riku noted this tidbit with interest. "– and seem to be gathering for a coordinated strike on China, though they have not attacked yet."

"There's more?" Sora blurted.

"Shan Yu and his army represented only one of several Hun tribes in this region," Shang explained briskly. "They warred with each other as much as other kingdoms..."

"Until now," the Emperor finished direly. "One of the tribal leaders, Attila, is attempting to unite the tribes into one kingdom, with himself as king."

"So we take out the armies," Mulan suggested. "It should be no problem with Sora and his friends helping."

"These Huns are just other inhabitants of this world?" Riku clarified. The Emperor nodded.

"Then we can't help with that," Sora sighed sadly. "We can't meddle in the normal affairs of other worlds. That would throw things out of balance."

"If the Heartless or similar are involved, then that changes things," Roxas pointed out.

The Emperor stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Those are those strange creatures, yes? Our scouts did report seeing white beings than were not human."

"Bingo!" Roxas cried, snapping his fingers. "That sounds like Nobodies. We can help."

"Nope, still can't," Yukari countered, a thoughtful frown on her face. "Not without provocation."

"Why not?" Kairi wondered.

"King Mickey and Maleficent forged a truce," she stated baldly.

"You're kidding!" Sora blurted.

Riku felt something tap his leg from within his pocket. Startled, he looked down to see the Commsphere being pushed towards the opening, an entry open on the screen. He grabbed the device, giving a smile of gratitude to Rikku, and read the text. "She's not," he confirmed. "They have to attack first before we can do anything."

"Which is why this problem must be solved diplomatically," the Emperor concluded smartly. "I intend to send my daughters to Qui Gong to negotiate peace with Attila and I wish you to escort them."

Yukari scowled and folded her arms across her chest. "Your daughters," she deadpanned.

The Emperor gazed at Yukari with an equally deadpan expression, which gave Riku the impression that His Majesty was hiding his true feelings. "Attila has hinted that he will accept no less than their hands in marriage."

"_What?_" several voices gasped. Strangely enough, Yukari was not one of them.

"Surely you aren't considering this," Kairi protested. Truth be told, Riku didn't like the idea either, but he understood the necessity of such forfeits.

"I will consider anything that protects my people," the Emperor said sternly. More kindly, he explained, "Fear not, my daughters accepted their duty long ago. They are willing to make this sacrifice."

"And we shall see to it that they can fulfill their duty," Mulan declared with a bow, although she looked uncomfortable with the situation.

"As will we," Yukari stated in a flat tone, also giving another of her bows. She received several angry looks, but no one contradicted her.

"China is in your debt," the Emperor acknowledged gratefully. He turned to Shang. "General, will you require additional men?"

Shang shared a knowing look with Mulan and Sora, then grinned back at his liege. "As a matter of fact, I know just the soldiers for the job. With your permission, Mulan and I will retrieve them and be back by nightfall." The Emperor nodded sagely before departing. With a salute, Shang turned and strode off.

Mulan gave the group of teenagers a friendly smile. "Guess we'll do introductions later," she chuckled, waving in farewell.

"See you later!" Sora called cheerfully after her.

As soon as everyone was out of earshot, Kairi rounded on Yukari. "I don't get it. You were ready to take those guards' heads off but you're fine with the Emperor marrying off his daughters?"

"Yes," Ri replied simply.

"What's the difference?" Naminé wondered insistently, also agitated.

"It would be no different with sons," Yukari answered. "When you have power to rule, your life belongs to your kingdom, not you."

Kairi frowned sourly. "I still don't like it."

"Nobody does," Yukari snapped, shooting a glare at Roxas when he started sniggering, "that's why it's called a sacrifice." She sighed and grabbed Kairi and Naminé on a shoulder each. "Think about it. You have causes you're willing to sacrifice for, right?" She saw the answer plain in their eyes and barreled on. "Their cause is their kingdom." As if biting on a lemon, both girls swallowed their objections and nodded.

"Speaking of royals," Roxas butted in after an appropriate silence, "are you telling me you're a princess or something?"

"Or something," Ri replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She sighed in annoyance. "All worlds have their elites; the Emperor happens to call them 'nobles.' But on my world the only person with a title is the king. It's not even a hereditary one, so no princes or princesses."

"So _that's_ why you're such a bitch," Roxas surmised.

A dangerous look flashed in Yukari's eyes. "I'm done behaving. My life is my own now. Anyone who wants obedience from me has to earn it first."

Kairi huffed, "And what makes _you_ different from the princesses?"

"I didn't believe in 'my' cause. If the princesses change their minds about their cause…" Yukari grinned mischievously, raising Onsaken. "…then I will gladly knock some heads."

This line of thought seemed more to Kairi's liking. She turned to Naminé, expecting similar enthusiasm, but stilled when she saw the somber look on her former Nobody's face. Gasping, Kairi seemed to remember something and gazed at Yukari despairingly. Sora cocked an eyebrow at Riku questioningly, but he shrugged, not knowing the root of the exchange.

He had a guess, though. It seemed reminiscent of his own home life, where he was just another object used by his parents to get approval from society. That's what good members of society did; they had children and provided for them. Love was not required. Yukari's mistrust of people who knew she was deaf suddenly made more sense. That would definitely not be acceptable to her class. He wanted to show her that their friends weren't like that, and even contemplated telling someone just to prove it to her, but he feared breaking her trust like that would only exacerbate the problem.

"Don't look at me like that," Yukari chided the girls, but with less bite than normal. "I left that behind, remember?"

Alarm bells went off in Riku's head. He wanted nothing more than to get away from his parents; the only thing stopping him was that he didn't think he could pull it off. They, especially his father, wouldn't let him get away with it. "Are you going to be missed?" he demanded.

With a very unconcerned flick of her hair, Yukari said, "Yes."

Riku had to choke back a frustrated growl. More secrets. "Is that going to cause problems?"

Still very unconcerned. "They can't do anything legally."

Still very frustrated. "And illegally?"

Yukari raised her hands in mock concern. "Then I guess I'll have to bring in the interworldly authorities."

"And who would that be?" Riku asked rhetorically, fed up with the games.

Yukari locked eyes with him, gazing at him with a serious expression. She wasn't playing. "You."

Riku grunted in surprise. That was not at all what he was expecting. "Riku?" Roxas asked skeptically, capturing his own sentiments.

"Any of you, except Naminé." She jerked a thumb in Sora's direction. "He'd be the best choice."

Sora's eyes grew wide. "Me? Why?"

She turned to the confused boy with a playful smirk. "You're the highest authority in the worlds right now, Keyblade Master."

She laughed as Sora began spluttering incoherently. Riku would have joined her if he wasn't still a bit taken aback. Truth be told, he'd never thought about the implications of being a Master past fighting Astan. Neither had Sora, and, being so humble, he wasn't handling it well.

"As far as I can tell," Yukari elaborated, "Keyblade Wielders were interworldly recognized as peacekeepers and were charged with keeping order between the worlds."

Roxas clapped Yukari on the shoulder. "We've got your back," he stated, giving her a rare smile. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry. How about we go find some food, since we have the day to kill anyway?"

"Sounds good to me!" Sora shouted, instantly reverting to his bubbly self. He headed for the door.

"Maybe the guards will tell us where the kitchen is," Riku suggested wryly, causing everyone to chuckle.

* * *

After they had stuffed their faces, the friends had decided to take a stroll through the palace gardens. Soon, Roxas and Naminé excused themselves with a thinly-veiled attempt to disguise that they just wanted to make out. Then, Sora and Kairi excused themselves with a thinly-veiled attempt to disguise that they just wanted to see what Riku and Yukari would do when left alone. Most likely to Sora and Kairi's displeasure, Riku and Yukari chose to settle down on a bench in a bamboo grove. Ri huddled into Riku's chest and he put an arm around her, just enjoying each other's company.

"Are they spying on us?" Riku wondered off-handedly.

"Big time," Yukari confirmed. After a moment, she continued, "They can't hear us though."

"They don't seem to get the whole high-tech hearing device thing," Riku remarked casually.

Yukari just hummed distractedly and fingered her earpieces, something Riku was learning to recognize as a sign that Yukari was feeling self-conscious, usually about being deaf.

He wrapped his arms more tightly around her. "You know they won't care, right?" he prodded gently. She stiffened against him, but he just started rubbing her soothingly in return. "Look at Sora. He's definitely not playing with a full deck of cards."

She chuckled briefly, but soon huddled closer to him. "I don't know," she answered weakly. He just sighed and continued his rubbing.

A bird fluttered into their clearing and landed near them. It regarded them warily, trying to determine the danger they posed. Evidently, it didn't find any peril, because it chirped at them once before beginning to sing. The bird's music brought a smile to Riku's face and eased the tension in Yukari's body.

When the animal was done, Yukari began singing the song back. Riku's jaw nearly hit the ground. Who did she think she was? Snow White? He may not have been musically talented himself, but he could tell a musician when he heard one. The bird eyed Yukari with interest, but as she neared the end, it seemed to realize that she wasn't its type and flew off.

Riku just sat there, his mind completely blown. "How can I possibly think you're any less capable when you can do that?" he breathed in awe. He couldn't help it; his heart was just bursting to the seams with how much he loved her at the moment. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently. When he pulled back, he looked into her eyes and whispered, "You're amazing."

For once, Yukari was completely speechless. Her only response was to blush furiously. Eager to ease her embarrassment at such lavish praise, and also to hear her sing again, Riku recalled their first sparring lesson. "Can you sing me the song you were humming before we got to Twilight Town?" he requested.

She looked surprised briefly, but she settled into a peaceful state as she let the music take over her.

"_Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. Brown paper packages tied up with strings. These are a few of my favorite things._"

Her voice filled the area, clear as a bell and light like a flute. The bamboo rustled around them as Kairi navigated through the foliage to join them, almost like the music had called her, looking ecstatic. As soon as she'd caught her breath, she grinned and sang the next verse.

"_Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels. Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles. Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings. These are a few of my favorite things._"

Kairi continued on with the third verse and Yukari joined her with a harmony line. However, Kairi soon became cowed by Yukari's talent and dropped out.

"Why'd you stop?" Sora wondered. He'd shown up shortly after Kairi. "That was great."

"Yeah," Yuna agreed. She and her cousin had also been attracted to the sounds.

"Yukari is really good," Kairi peeped sheepishly.

Ri sighed in resignation, and had she had sleeves, Riku imagined that she would have pushed them up. She took out both earpieces, then thrust them at Riku. "Hold these, will you?" she requested. In her eyes was the additional request to trust her. His rational side said it was a bad idea, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. Plus, he did trust her. Obligingly, he held out his hand to receive them.

A smile of gratitude was all he got before Yukari turned back to Kairi. "It doesn't matter how good you sound here," Ri explained, tapping her ear. "What makes a song beautiful is what's here." She lightly touched Kairi on the chest over her heart. "And you have one of the most beautiful hearts I know."

"I…," Kairi tried, completely lost in the face of Yukari's sincerity.

"Let your heart guide your song," the older girl instructed, "and it will be wonderful."

Kairi bit her lip, still a bit unsure, but them she glanced at Sora. A tender smile graced her face as she thought of her love. Then, she sang.

"_You're giving me too many things. Lately you're all I need. You smiled at me and said, 'Don't get me wrong I love you, but does that mean I have to meet you father?' When we are older you'll understand what I meant when I said 'No, I don't think life is quite that simple.'_"

Riku gasped as Kairi expressed her feelings for Sora; Yukari even had a tear running down her cheek. It brought such joy to his heart to see them together finally. Now that he had Yukari, he didn't have to be jealous anymore, either.

Sora, however, had missed the point. "That was really pretty, but…I've already met your dad."

"You idiot!" Ri burst in disbelief, slapping Sora upside the head. "She's singing from the heart, which means you need to _listen_ from the heart. Use your hearts' connection to hear." Still eyeing Sora angrily, she motioned for Kairi to continue. Sora closed his eyes and tried his best to do what he was told.

"_The daily things (like this and that and what is what) that keep us all busy are confusing me. That's when you came to me and said, 'Wish I could prove I love you, but does that mean I have to walk on water?' When we are older you'll understand it's enough when I say so and maybe some things are that simple._"

Yukari began harmonizing again, which truly impressed Riku, since he suspected Kairi was actually making this up as she went (also impressive). Then, he remembered something even more impressive. The earpieces were still in his hand. _She was doing this without Onsaken!_

Rikku was also squealing in delight, going on and on about how Yukari was completely amazing. It could have just been Rikku being Rikku, but the look on Yuna's face said that this was strange, even for the bubbly sprite. Perhaps Rikku knew about Yukari, too? If so, then good. It meant Yukari had kept her promise.

As the last notes fell from Kairi's lips, Sora gazed upon his love with a wondrous expression. "Kairi…," he moaned longingly.

She abandoned all dignity and leapt for his lips. He responded eagerly and they began a desperate race to kiss as much of the other as possible. When Kairi pressed close to him, he lifted her onto his waist and stumbled into the forest, out of sight, but not out of earshot.

He and Yukari stared wide-eyed at each other. After all the revelations about Yukari today, this was still more shocking.

"Guess they _do_ get it from Sora and Kairi," Ri muttered weakly.

"Hey guys," Roxas called, emerging from the other side of the grove with Naminé. "Wait," he said slowly, "if you're here, then is that…?" He gestured in the general direction of the make out noises. Riku and Yukari nodded mutely. "Woah…"

"How'd you get them so riled up?" Naminé mused.

"And can you do it for us?" Roxas joked.

Ri shook her head, trying to clear it. "I just taught Kairi how to sing from her heart," she stated simply. "She did the rest."

"Singing, huh?" Roxas said thoughtfully. "Wonder if I'm any better than Sora." He tapped his chin, considering something. "_Baby,_ _I can't fight this feeling anymore_," he sang to himself, then grew stronger as he became more comfortable with the music. "_I've forgotten what I started fighting for._" Riku recognized it as one of Sora's favorites. He also quickly concluded that Roxas was _much_ better than Sora. Frowning intently, Ri snatched her earpieces back and replaced them just as Roxas belted the final line, "_I can't fight this feeling anymore!_" Definitely better.

Yukari looked impressed in spite of herself. "Unless Sora is phenomenal, you're better," she stated bluntly. "Just promise me you'll never use that voice for evil." She glanced up at Rikku in disgust, who was drooling over Roxas as if he were some teen heartthrob.

"Evil?" Roxas snorted.

"Twang-heavy country, overused synthesizing, and monkey music," she clarified with a completely straight face.

"Monkey music?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Songs lacking any musical complexity, aka a monkey could sing them," she further explained. Handing her earpieces back to Riku, she turned to Naminé. "Your turn."

"Me?" Naminé sputtered, turning a bit red. "I'm not…. I can't…."

Yukari sighed and steamrolled over Naminé's hemming and hawing. "A beautiful song comes from the heart. Let it guide your music." Piercing Roxas with a reprimanding gaze, she bit, "And _you_! Don't be an idiot like Sora. Listen with your heart." Riku choked back a laugh; his friends had looks of terror on their faces like children getting caught in the cookie jar. Once they'd relaxed, Naminé began adding her soft tones to the afternoon air.

"_In you and I there's a new land. Angels in flight. My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah. Music will tie what's left of me, what's left of me now._"

Riku shook his head. The song was definitely more abstract, but it revealed how deeply Naminé's emotions ran. Considering how little she showed of her heart, it was easy to forget how much passion it held. He also smirked as he watched various emotions play across Roxas's face, varying from tender love to passionate lust.

"_You show me how to see that nothing is whole and nothing is broken._"

Apparently, Roxas had heard enough; he grabbed Naminé and pulled her close, kissing her fiercely. After they broke apart, she gave him an impish look and darted into the bamboo shoots. He eagerly pursued her, a covetous gleam in his eye.

Faking fright, Riku whispered, "What monsters have you created?"

His love just chuckled as she retrieved her ear pieces. "I'll give them ten minutes before I shut them up."

"Or we could drown them out," Riku suggested nonchalantly, half hoping she would agree.

"Please don't," Yuna begged with a groan, but she and her cousin were ignored.

"Not here," Ri said in her why-would-you-suggest-something-so-stupid tone. A small whine of disappointment forced its way out of Riku's mouth, much to his surprised dismay. Yukari smirked at him in amusement, then smiled in sympathy. "I'd rather do that someplace where no one can hear us." She looked down and bit her lip. "Being intimate is supposed to be special, right? Well, it doesn't seem like it can be special to me if other people are around."

Riku nodded in understanding and placed his arm around her shoulder again. She made a good point, as always. "Works for me," he said.

A few minutes passed in peaceful silence, the only sounds made by the refreshing breeze that blew by. Then Yukari growled in annoyance and stood up, tapping Onsaken's hilt as it hung from her belt loop.

"What is it?" Riku asked, wondering what could possibly start irritating her just now.

"We've got company incoming," she spoke up to the general vicinity. "Get yourselves decent!" Yuna and Rikku squeaked in alarm before finding hiding places.

The sounds of hormonal teenagers quickly changed into frantic scrambling. A few seconds later, the four teenagers in question emerged from the foliage looking mostly put together. Just as they made finishing touches to their appearances, what looked to be a palace aide approached them.

"The Emperor wishes to extend an invitation to join him for afternoon tea in an hour," the aide proclaimed formally with a bow.

"I could go for some tea," Sora said with a grin. When the aide remained, looking expectantly at Sora, the boy glanced around, seeming confused.

Yukari quickly stepped in. "We are honored and accept his invitation," she responded properly. "We shall escort ourselves, thank you. Your service is no longer needed." The aide nodded and bowed once more, looking relieved that Yukari understood the procedure for these things. Satisfied, he left.

"You heard him coming from the palace?" Sora blurted in awe. "Wow, that's some sharp hearing."

Biting his tongue to keep from gasping, Riku concentrated on keeping his face blank. Without flinching, Yukari muttered, "Onsaken's doing all the work."

"You're just being modest," Kairi accused playfully, giving Ri a radiant smile.

Yukari chewed her lip again and looked down, confusing several of their friends and even prompting Yuna and Rikku to emerge to see what was up. Yukari closed her eyes, exhaled slowly, then raised her head, resolve on her face. Riku sat up. Was she going to trust them? "I'm not being modest," she stated evenly. "I'm deaf."

"Nice try," Roxas snorted, rolling his eyes. "Come on, what's _really_ on your mind?"

Yukari gaped at him, utterly speechless. "What?" she gasped.

"You can't be deaf, so spill. What's eating you?"

Roxas sounded so absolutely certain and Yukari looked so flabbergasted that Riku burst out laughing. This was enough to snap Yukari back to her fiery self. "I'm being serious!" she snapped.

"No way," Sora blurted, also seeming skeptical. "If you're deaf, how come you don't sound like you have a cold all the time?"

"And how can you sing without Onsaken?" Kairi wondered.

"Years of painstaking practice," Yukari said flatly. Her tone reminded Riku of how he felt when he tried to perfect a move, how he was conscious of every muscle throughout the motions. It was tedious and grueling, but worth the results. He could imagine the effort that went into Yukari's voice.

"How come you don't use sign language?" Roxas demanded.

Yukari shot back some rapidly signed sentences. Luckily, Riku was bored enough during his recovery to start studying sign language just for the hell of it. He couldn't understand everything, but he caught the sign for 'understand' and some negation gestures. When Roxas didn't respond, she nodded, her point made. She finished with a sign that Riku had studied extensively, a very rude one that he had a feeling would come up often.

Riku chuckled, causing Yukari to glare at him. While he had her attention, he signed, "That's not very nice." When her jaw dropped, he added, "Quick study." Her eyes narrowed, not buying that he was already able to carry on a conversation. Just like he didn't buy that she knew very much Al Bhed yet. He just stared back, daring her to contradict him.

"Why didn't you tell us before now?" Naminé interrupted quietly, sounding a bit disappointed and also slightly hurt.

"Because apparently my trust issues are deeper than I thought," Ri sighed in resignation. Naminé gazed at her sadly, but smiled in understanding. Bolstered by this, Ri grinned impishly. "For the record, I told Riku."

"Of course you did," Roxas muttered with indignation. "You always tell Riku. It'd be nice if you could relay it to us once in a while."

"Hey!" Riku bit in retaliation. "She did _not_ tell me, I busted her."

He and Roxas continued to bicker for a bit while Yukari's grin grew more impish with each word. Finally, she lifted a fist into the air casually. Giggling madly, Rikku floated over and bumped the hand with her hip. Riku immediately shut up, feeling extremely stupid. 'Rikku,' not 'Riku.' At times like these, he wished they had speech bubbles or subtitles so they didn't have to rely solely on context clues.

"Were you afraid we would think you couldn't take care of yourself?" Kairi guessed, showing an amazing insight. Yukari's expression was all the answer she needed.

"Pfth!" Sora scoffed with a wave of his hand, showing just how ridiculous he thought that was. "Anyone who can throw me like you did can take care of themselves."

"You can talk fine _and_ you're a gorgeous singer," Kairi added supportively.

"Not to mention you're the brains of this operation," Roxas pointed out.

"And it was pretty brave of you to come with us in the first place," Naminé inserted sincerely.

Yukari sat heavily on the bench, completely overwhelmed by the acceptance she was getting. No wonder. Riku doubted she'd ever experienced this before. He placed a hand on her shoulder warmly.

The moment was broken when Roxas sighed in disappointment. "Nuts, now you have an excuse for being a pansy, too."

"Yeah," Sora whistled, "no wonder you don't like your eyes covered."

"Watch it, Blondie," Yukari warned. "I kicked Riku's ass, remember?"

"Hmph," Riku grunted. That was overstating things a bit and he wasn't about to stand for it. "You did not."

"Fine, Riku's ass from a year ago."

"That was _not_ me, it was a replica."

"Close enough."

"Wait, what's this?" Sora piped up in interest.

Shooting a glare at Ri, he turned to his best friend, "Vexen made a clone of me and my powers." He resisted the urge to add, 'remember?' "I defeated it and Astan brought it back as a Restless." Instead of the answer satisfying him, it only caused Sora to frown in thought. "Why?"

"I keep getting these weird flashes of memory when I hit my head," Sora said, chewing over the words. Naminé's eyes lit up in anticipation. "But I never remember the whole memory, just bits and pieces out of context."

"Maybe it needs a harder whack," Roxas joked, taking out his Keyblade and tapping it on Sora's head. The moment it made contact, light arced across the metal, connecting them as if they'd completed a circuit.

"Oh dear," Naminé sighed.

They were connected for a few more moments, then the circuit broke and the two boys were blasted backwards, groaning and clutching their heads.

"What was that?" Kairi gasped, rushing to help Sora.

"Memory recovery," Naminé replied calmly, trying to keep her face neutral. She didn't seem to know which way the future conversation would go.

"Hah!" Sora shouted, bolting upright. He thrust a pointed finger at Naminé in triumph. "Told you so," he boasted pompously, holding a pinky in the air.

She chuckled once, smiling ruefully. "I suppose you did." As if Sora would ever hold a grudge.

"Roxas?" Yukari inquired gently. "Are you going to be okay?"

Feeling like a jerk, Riku shifted his attention to the boy they'd neglected. _Going to be…_ That didn't bode well. Roxas sat up and wiped a tear from his cheek. "Yeah," he muttered dejectedly, then looked at Yukari questioningly. "How do you do that?"

She threw her hands in the air dramatically. "Was no one paying attention during my lesson?" she kvetched in jest. "I listen with my heart." More seriously, she clapped Roxas on the back and reminded them, "We've got a tea date to get to. That would not be a good thing to be late for."

"Whatever you say..." Sora drawled lazily, throwing his hands behind his head. He grinned mischievously. "...Princess."

"Dog-boy," she growled out in retort, glaring. Sora just laughed smugly, pleased with this new status quo, and wandered back towards the palace.

* * *

Later that night, the world travelers waited silently in the shadow of the palace along with Mulan, Shang, and the three soldiers they had recruited, Ling, Chien-Po, and Yao.

A door to the palace cracked open, spilling light over the ground and throwing the horse carriage into relief. The Emperor soon appeared, followed by three women of varying height in silk cloaks. The women ghosted silently into their waiting vehicle, ready to fulfill their duty.

However, as the last princess stepped onto the running board, her silk slipper slid off her foot. The short, stocky soldier called Yao quickly snatched it off the ground and offered it to the woman. As their eyes met, Yao's face softened into a tender expression of wonder. The princess's face was hidden by her cloak, but she quickly placed the shoe on her foot and took her seat. Still looking star struck, Yao closed the door and stumbled to his place.

The Emperor watched the carriage prepare to leave with an inscrutable visage. "Guard them well," he whispered woefully, a single tear falling down his cheek.

"We shall," Riku vowed.

"If we're lucky, we'll have them back before the end of the week," Sora inserted cheerfully, relying on his confident optimism. Before the Keyblade came, this trait in his best friend always seemed like a flaw to Riku. Sora's hopes were always so unrealistic. But, after seeing him deliver on his optimistic promises, Riku believed that Sora could accomplish anything he set his heart to. Maybe they could yet save the princesses from their unfortunate fate.

As the Emperor stole back to his chamber and the carriage rolled away, Yukari whispered, "Fates, have mercy."

Riku turned to her, a flutter of unease passing through his heart. "Oh, please, no," he breathed. Her hard stare was the only answer he needed. Things just got a _lot_ more complicated.

Yao was falling for a princess.

* * *

**A/N:** Since you've probably forgotten, at the beginning of this story, I established that Sora was the only Keyblade Master. Obviously, this isn't so anymore on all sorts of levels, but I started this fic right after KH2, so oh well. It's in "Jessu" if you want to go back.

Who wouldn't mistake _Roxas_ for Sora's brother? _Roxas_ pretty much looks like a blond Sora. And when you're trying to explain that, the simplest explanation is probably the correct one. Occam's razor, you know? ;)

Also, is anyone else hoping that Roxas and/or Ven gets to sing in KH3? I mean, they had Haley Joel Osment singing, and he's not that great. They'd better have Jesse McCartney sing. Man, he's got some pipes!

In case you haven't figure it out by now, part of my initial inspiration for Yukari was Toph. If you don't know who Toph is, shame on you. You should correct that immediately.

**New Characters:**

Mulan: Mulan (1998)  
General Shang: Mulan (1998)  
The Emperor: Mulan (1998)  
Ling: Mulan (1998)  
Chien-Po: Mulan (1998)  
Yao: Mulan (1998)


End file.
